“This should be a very, very easy decision for you,” attorney Robert Williams told the Morristown council on Wednesday after nearly three-and-a-half hours of testimony about a liquor license transfer.
It wasn’t.
Council President Michelle Dupree Harris and Vice President Rebecca Feldman said they needed time to process the information about William Walsh’s request to transfer a South Street liquor license to Futbol-Landia at 4 Early Street.
To groans from a big audience composed largely of Hispanic supporters of what would be Morristown’s first Spanish-themed restaurant with a liquor license, the council postponed its decision until June 13.
State law mandated Wednesday’s hearing because residents had filed objections to the proposed restaurant/sports bar. The council doubles as the town’s Alcoholic Beverage Commission.
William Walsh, a 65-year-old estate lawyer whose family owns three bars in Morristown, outlined plans for a seven-day-a-week operation catering to Latino soccer fans.
All six of his sons have played soccer, and one made the ’96 Olympic team, he said.
“Soccer helped unite people on the field. I hope this location will do the same in Morristown,” said the Bernardsville resident, who pledged to devote 25 hours a week to the business. It will be managed, he said, by Pedro Velasquez, a cook who worked for years at the now-defunct Pierre’s in Harding.
William Walsh described renovations including new bathrooms and a wooden floor, promised to provide up to four security guards (including off-duty police officers) on busy nights, and said he would employ as many as 23 staffers on two shifts.
He also promised not to sue the town if its Speedwell Avenue redevelopment project eventually requires Futbol-Landia to relocate, and he assured the council that although there will be a deejay and occasional live entertainment, it will not become a dance hall or nightclub.
The applicant, doing business as Uncle Baxter LLC, submitted a 600-signature petition endorsing the license transfer. The town zoning officer, John Fugger, has determined that the property is zoned for a restaurant, and Police Chief Pete Demnitz has given his blessing if security cameras and exterior lighting are added. (Robert Williams, the lawyer representing William Walsh, said both conditions would be met.)
Many Hispanics from Morristown and beyond spoke in favor of the proposal, saying they deserve a nice place to gather.
“I really want a place like this, where I can bring my friends around and interact with other Hispanic people, which I never get a chance to do,” said Eduardo Jiminez, a lawyer who contended Futbol-Landia could “bridge the gap” between the local Hispanic and Anglo communities.
Christina Martinez of the Morris County Hispanic-American Chamber of Commerce said the venture would enhance economic development in the neighborhood.
Only two or three people voiced opposition. Questions were raised about limited street parking, problems at other Walsh family bars and grievances about the condition of the mostly Hispanic neighborhood near Futbol-Landia.
Councilman Stefan Armington challenged the petition, asserting that 14 names from the same address suggested stacking. Rebecca Feldman bristled at public statements hinting that Latinos were unwelcome at other Morristown establishments, and pointed out that William Walsh is not Hispanic.
The council inquired about everything from trash pickups to the number of stalls in the restrooms. Such scrutiny struck some proponents of the plan as excessive.
“Like it or not, this is a bar town,” said resident Brendan Tully, asserting that officials should be thrilled that anyone would invest so much money in a local business during such a tough economy.
Eric “Fluffy” Glover, the beloved “Ticket-Taker Guy” at Clearview Cinemas and a bouncer at the Walsh-owned Dark Horse Lounge, said the owners work hard to keep out under-aged patrons and they cooperate closely with police.
A resident of the luxury condos at 40 Park said the council should impose strict cleanup conditions on all bars; Christine Conti-Collins contended that her sidewalk sometimes “reeks of urine, vomit and feces” from crowds that frequent Walsh family bars on DeHart Street.
Another woman who lives across from Morristown High School on Early Street said she deals with the same mess on her property and fears the situation will worsen if a bar opens nearby.
“Will the Walsh family come to clean this up?” asked Jackie Hyland.
Jonathan Ramsfelder scolded the town for not enforcing zoning rules around Speedwell Avenue, causing it to become “a blighted area” with overcrowded apartments and unregulated storefront signs. His wife and daughter are subjected to sexual comments by men loitering on street corners, he said.
“Frankly, that does not happen on the other side of town,” he said, challenging the Hispanic-American Chamber of Commerce to “change behaviors” of constituents to make the neighborhood friendlier to all.
Citing state laws pertaining to liquor licenses, Robert Williams told the council that most of these complaints were unrelated to his client’s application, and therefore the transfer approval should be straightforward.
But Michelle Dupree Harris said she wanted time to consider whether the council should impose conditions on the approval, such as limiting hours of operation and truck delivery times and mandating the number of security guards. Councilwoman Raline Smith-Reid opposed the continuation, explaining that June is overly busy for her.
The council’s decision on June 13 will coincide with a hearing on another Walsh family proposal to move a liquor license, to create a bowling alley/bar on DeHart Street.
