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No Longer a Mormon Town?March 27th, 2009

Andy's wants hard liquor, neighbors don't

By Tom Callan

city council st joseph

Andy's Bar in Salt Lake City offers PBR Steins for $3.50

"Salt Lake City is in danger of losing its reputation for being family friendly." Laura Fuller, teetotaling mother of nine, says hard liquor in Andy's Place, a residential bar, would damage her neighborhood. "If you chase away families, you lose tax revenue and international corporations will not locate here."

Council members at the March 24 meeting listened intently as residents who live near Andy's Place at 5th East and 3rd South pleaded to keep hard alcohol out of their area, which is zoned as residential mixed use. Hard booze at a tavern with that zoning is a no-no, so Andy's Place wants new zoning.

David Morris, who owns Piper Down on State Street, urged council not to impose any more burdens on the city's small businesses, including bars and taverns, which already have nearly parental responsibility for their patrons. He said he is already "liable for his customers until they hit their pillows."

Goon Bait

"There was a time in my life when I enjoyed going to bars," said Brent Roush. But he said the safety of elderly people who live near Andy's Place could be jeopardized by "goon bait," his description for inebriated patrons who invite crime by falling down in the street, where they get robbed.

Members of the city council listened for an hour as nearly 30 people spoke out against the petition. "Salt Lake City is "no longer a Mormon town," said one, recommending a new master plan to regulate development in Salt Lake City. He says that could work to sooth any tension between the city's bars and local residents. Another speaker told council that she probably wouldn't live long enough to see the master plan amended. "Please don't fool with the zoning laws," said yet another..

andys bar salt lake city

Andy's Bar on the north-west corner of 300 South and 500 East

"We don't want bars in residential areas. Please don't change the zoning," Janey Brown told the council, quoting a study that suggested numerous public health dangers in the vicinity of bars.

With the governor expected to sign legislation ending the private club laws on July 1, Steve Christopher said, "I implore you not to let the pendulum swing in the other direction." He worries that new, more permissive liquor laws will lead to more permissive behavior in residential areas.

"Please protect our children. If you allow hard liquor in a residential area, you are harming our children," said Susan Hansen. Another speaker said hard liquor at Andy's Place would create traffic gridlock and threaten the safety of visitors to the nearby children's museum.

Other than Piper Down's Morris, no one defended the request from Andy's Place to serve hard liquor. No vote was taken and city council did not schedule a date for a vote on the request.

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