Complaints against eight bars on tap for Morristown council meeting, June 26

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Complaints against eight bars are on tap for the Morristown council on Tuesday, June 26.

It’s the first time anyone in town can remember public objections to liquor license renewals, which usually sail through the council–the town’s Alcoholic Beverage Commission–without a peep.

Renewals for Tashmoo, the Dark Horse Lounge, Sona Thirteen, the Office, Roots and Urban Table (which share a license), the Iron Horse and Yo & Papa are being challenged by at least four residents, who want the town to impose conditions on these establishments to improve safety, security and sanitation.

Saturday night in Morristown: MG Correspondent Berit Ollestad captured these scenes of young ladies making themselves at home atop a vacant Morristown police car after the bars closed. Please see icon below for captions.

The complaints put the council on the hot seat for zoning decisions that have turned the downtown into a welter of competing interests: Businesses by day, mobbed bars on weekend evenings, and empty-nesters 24-7, in upscale condos like 40 Park, the Vail Mansion and Community Place.

Christine Conti-Collins, the most outspoken of the residents, has pressed objections against six establishments in a one-block area, noting their combined capacity is 1,800 patrons. Those patrons leave “human waste,” broken bottles and trash on sidewalks, she says in her complaints, adding that traffic congestion and illegal parking in a right-of-way wreak havoc for delivery- and fire trucks, and for neighbors moving into 40 Park.

“I and my husband and 75 other families have made substantial investments in our homes at 40 Park,” Christine wrote in her complaints filed against Tashmoo, the Dark Horse, Sona Thirteen, the Office, the Iron Bar, Roots and Urban Table.

Two women get acquainted atop a vacant Morristown police car outside a bar early on Sunday. Photo by Berit Ollestad
Two women get acquainted atop a vacant Morristown police car outside a bar early on Sunday. Photo by Berit Ollestad

“In addition I pay almost $35,000 in property taxes, and am very concerned about the quality of life for those of us who have chosen to live in downtown Morristown. I am not against growth and development, but bars and restaurants operating without reasonable conditions are not acceptable.” Christine says in her complaints.

Roseann Loia, also from 40 Park, filed objections against the same group of bars, asserting that “human bodily excrements,” litter, dumpster odors, dangerous traffic, idling delivery trucks, noisy late-night disturbances and illegal parking in the right-of-way alley from DeHart to Market streets are threatening the quality of life and property investments of residents.

Another 40 Park resident, Marie Rozan, objected specifically to license renewal for the Iron Bar, which she contends lacks proper facilities for trash disposal.  She says the Iron Bar is creating a smelly mess in the alley, which she says 40 Park and the Metropolitan apartments pay to maintain. The town has received a grant to transform the alley into an “attractive pedestrian passage,” she writes in her complaint.

‘QUITE BIZARRE’

The Iron Bar has been open for seven weeks without any violations, countered Jimmy Cavanaugh, co-owner of the place.

While describing himself as “always open-minded and willing to listen to residents,” Jimmy labeled some of their accusations “quite bizarre.” He plans to be represented at Tuesday’s council meeting by lawyers Robert Williams, an expert on bar issues, and by Nicholas Racioppi Jr.,  an attorney with Riker Danzig who will address right-of-way questions.

Residents of 40 Park and the Metropolitan are having “50 times more impact” on the alley than the Iron Bar has had, according to Jimmy, citing deliveries, trash pickups and dog-walkers “not picking up dog poo.”  Bars, restaurants and nightlife were selling points marketed by developers of 40 Park and the Metropolitan, he continued, expressing dismay that residents now are complaining about noise.

“When you have a successful downtown, you have a lot of people,” said the former owner of Jimmy’s Haunt. Morristown bar owners “generate sales taxes for the the state, and employment for residents of Morris County. People enjoy the variety here. To have a handful of residents complaining is too bad.

“I remember when you couldn’t walk the streets for fear you would get mugged. There’s been a complete turnaround because of the investments people have made in town,” Jimmy said. Alluding to young bar patrons and complaints from older residents, he added, “I think this is more of a generational issue than anything else.”

Council President Michelle Dupree Harris said she is hopeful that Mayor Tim Dougherty, the Morristown Partnership and the Morristown Parking Authority will resolve residents’ concerns without any need for the council to impose restrictions on the bars.

CLANK OF BEER BOTTLES

At least one resident felt sufficiently vexed last week to file a complaint against a dormant bar.

Yo & Papa gets a facelift: Painters at work Friday at the dormant bar on South Street. Photo by Kevin Coughlin
Yo & Papa gets a facelift: Painters at work Friday at the dormant bar on South Street. Photo by Kevin Coughlin

Faith Teeple,who lives on Franklin Street, lodged concerns about Yo & Papa, in case it reopens.

Known for its patio fronting South Street, adjacent to town hall, Yo & Papa has a lien on the property for unpaid taxes. Lately, however, workmen have been busily repainting the exterior.

Loud music from Yo & Papa (and its predecessor, the Calalloo Café) disturbed her when she tried to use her yard on summer evenings,  Faith writes in her letter to the town.

At closing time, the sound of shouting drunks in the Yo & Papa parking lot sometimes awakened her. Likewise, the crash of beer bottles and cans being tossed into dumpsters in the wee hours made sleep difficult, she writes.

Faith also has emailed council members, asking them to inform citizens about the complaint process prior to June 26, when all liquor licenses in town are scheduled for renewal.

“This is a pro-active step to stay in touch with your constituents, show them that you are aware of and respond to their concerns, and gives them an opportunity for their voices/concerns to be heard,” she says in her email.

Faith and Christine are among residents who testified against a proposed liquor license transfer to 10 DeHart St., where Billy Walsh wants to build a bowling alley/bar.  The women also were among a handful of residents who met privately with Billy to discuss their grievances.

Billy, whose family owns Tashmoo, the Dark Horse and Sona Thirteen, testified that bars should pool resources to hire more security and sidewalk cleanups.

UNPAID TAXES, POLICE REPORTS

Meanwhile, one potential complication for Billy’s father, William Walsh , who seeks permission to transfer a liquor license to Futbol-Landia at 4 Early St, was resolved on June 14 when $23,500 in back taxes and delinquent sewer- and Special Improvement District fees and interest were paid, town records indicate.

MorristownGreen.com had reported that nearly $35,000 was owed by the property’s landlord. At this point, $17,000 in first- and second-quarter local taxes for this year still are unpaid, according to the town tax office.

Envisioned as serving the Latino community, Futbol-Landia has stirred sharp emotions. Hope Field, a proponent of the liquor license transfer to Early Street, filed a police report alleging harassment by Margaret Armington, wife of Councilman Stefan Armington, after a council hearing on May 30.

Margaret previously had testified against that license transfer, and Hope asserts that Margaret angrily confronted her for citing that testimony in a letter to the town. Witnesses include Esperanza Porris-Field, Hope’s mother and president of the Morris County Hispanic-American Chamber of Commerce. Esperanza said her daughter was traumatized by the incident.

A call to Margaret for comment was not returned. Stefan, interviewed at a recent council meeting, said he was aware that his wife had words with someone from the Hispanic chamber.

“And that’s all I know,” he said.

VIDEO: RESIDENTS TESTIFY AGAINST BARS

7 COMMENTS

  1. Young and old, rich or poor, every Morristown resident has the right to be protected from unsafe, unhealthy and unclean conditions in their town. The residential taxes provide more than a fair share of the costs of running the town, when compared to the bars.

    Taking advantage of immature drunks for profit may be legal but it is also legal and responsible for the Town Council to maintain the existing laws on the books regarding those things and to ensure the bar owners take the steps necessary to protect everyone.

  2. Haha if all those bars/restaurants start to slow down and the price of her apartment plummets then I bet she would wish to have all of it back. People with too much time on their hands always find something to complain about.

  3. If you don’t like kids don’t move next to a school, if you don’t like drunk people don’t move above the highest concentration of bars in the surrounding area. What the heck were you thinking when you moved there lady? Maybe “I want to have something to complain about” ???

  4. What a bunch of whining crybabies that moved into 40 Park. They knew what they were moving into. Too bad, so sad.

  5. The folks, that purchased property at 40 Park, were well aware of the bars and resturants around town. If you choose to live right in the middle of the action that’s what you get..if you want quite at night..then move out of town!

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