City Puts Two Liquor License Applications On Hold

The City of Grosse Pointe council tabled decisions on two liquor license applications Monday after they couldn't reach a majority vote after two motions. 

The owners of the future Green Zone Pizza and the current Side Street Diner were disappointed the issue wasn't decided. Both said they felt as if this will hold up the progress of their businesses. 

The first motion to go down was in favor of granting the license to Green Zone Pizza. The motion received support but lost in a 4-2 vote by council. Then a motion to issue the license to Side Street Diner was supported. It lost in a 3-3 vote. 

All of the council members and city officials repeatedly expressed their excitement for having two businesses wanting to have licenses, but ultimately they could not reach agreement. 

Both could eventually have a liquor license, but council must decide who receives the last of the City's quota licenses. Each municipality in Michigan is issued a certain number of licenses called quota licenses based on population. The municipalities are responsible for issuing those based on applications and the city's own preferences with regards to businesses. 

The City has had four quota licenses for years. Three of the four have been issued to the , and . The fourth has remained untouched for several years, and then within 48 hours of each other two businesses applied for the license. The quota license has a $1,000 initial fee.

There is another option because of the Downtown Development Authority created a few years ago. Under a redevelopment umbrella for the Village, the City could seek a redevelopment license in addition to the quota licenses. The drawback, however, is this license costs $20,000 initially. 

Both licenses have their strengths and weaknesses, however. John Jackson, of McKenna Associates, who does planning consultation work for the City, told council the quota license, once issued, can be transferred by an owner to anywhere within Wayne County. The redevelopment license must stay in the location where it is issued, Jackson said. 

Councilman Chris Walsh told fellow council members he found the decision difficult, commenting about how hard it is to decide how a license might help a business that doesn't yet exist. He also questioned why the owners of Side Street Diner, who took over and converted the old Clairpointe Restaurant Sept. 1, didn't seek the license sooner. He described both situations as peculiar.

Meanwhile, councilman Donald Parthum said he was inclined to vote to give Green Zone Pizza the quota license, explaining the owner is "taking a leap of faith to open a new business." Giving Green Zone the license is likely a tool to help enhance the owner's business, Parthum said, saying he thinks people would be more likely to stay to eat their pizza with beer and wine options. He also noted that the Side Street Diner is thriving without a license. Councilman Christopher Boettcher agreed, also highlighting that Green Zone was the first to apply. 

Both owners were asked to present their application.

Green Zone Pizza owner Markus Wiederkehr told council the license would allow his soon-to-be restaurant to offer gluten-free beers, which is part of the bigger picture. His restaurant will serve food made with all organic ingredients and he wants to use local products, including beers. Rather than going to Budweiser for example, he plans to find a local brewery as a supplier, he said.

The co-owners of Side Street Diner told council they felt this was the next step in the process of redoing the old Clairpointe and creating Side Street. They would like to offer their dinner crowd beer and wine as an option, they said. Then they asked council whether they had questions. None did. 

Part of the council meeting was dedicated to a public hearing for members of the public to speak about the license applications but no one came forward. Three letters of support were entered into the record on behalf of Green Zone Pizza. 

When council members first mentioned putting off the decision, councilwoman Jean Weipert said doing so wasn't going to help anyone involved. "We need to make a decision. We want both of these to be extremely successful. We are thrilled to have both of you," she said. 

Mayor Dale Scrace agreed with her but after the votes revealed no decision would be reached, the council voted to table the applications for up to 90 days. They are to schedule a special meeting as soon as possible when all of the council members are able to attend to again address the licenses. 

Afterward, Wiederkehr said he found some of the members insinuation that his business plan is not solid frustrating, explaining that the council members had extensive information about everything for the restaurant, including records about the financial backing. "They know more than they let on," he said. 

Side Street Diner co-owner Sheila Taylor said the council's lack of a decision was disappointing. "We are an established business," she said. "I think they should have granted it to us."