According to Alderman At Large Bruce Desmond, he received so many calls that he went to the Armory and found them using the driveway to prepare food for an event in the main hall.
This issue comes after the Zoning Board of Appeals approved numerous requests for the Armory that included later hours and the option to apply for an all-forms liquor license among others.
The Arts at the Armory requested a continuance at last month's meeting to give them time to conduct their own internal investigation, gather more information and speak to the City Solicitor's Office. Their continuance was granted and there is no indication that the organization will seek another continuance.
The Licensing Commission meeting starts at 6pm on Monday August 19th and is conducted in the TAB building - 167 Holland Street - between Teele and Davis Square. The agenda for the meeting has been posted on the City's website.
The violations that the Armory are accused of violating are as follows:
Somerville Licensing Commission Rule 1.05.a(3). Licensees must ensure that their patrons leave the premises in an orderly manner. Licensees who have a clientele that regularly fails to leave the area in a quiet and orderly manner must take appropriate steps which may include a police detail to supervise the leave-taking of the patrons at closing time. Said police detail shall be in addition to, and not instead of, the licensees own personnel;Somerville Licensing Commission Rule 1.06.e. No outside area may be used as a waiting area or other gathering place for patrons without prior approval by the Commission.
Somerville Licensing Commission Rule 1.09.a. It shall be the obligation of licensees to ensure that a high degree of supervision is exercised over the conduct of the licensed establishment at all times. Each licensee will be held accountable for all violations that are related to the licensed premises to determine whether or not the licensee acted properly in the given circumstances.
Somerville Licensing Commission Rule 1.11.d. No entertainment may take place at a licensed premises and no member of the public may be at the licensed premises except during the hours and days when the Commission has approved the premises to be open to the public. It shall be a violation of the food or beverage license if entertainment is conducted on the premises prior to the opening hour set by the Commission or subsequent to the closing hour set by the Commission for the exercise of the food or beverage license or during any period when the food or beverage license has been suspended.
Somerville Licensing Commission Rule 1.05.e. When any noise, disturbance, misconduct, disorder, act or activity occurs in the licensed premises, or in the area in front of or adjacent to the licensed premises, or in any parking lot provided by the licensee for the use of its patrons, which in the judgment of the Commission adversely affects the protection, health, welfare, safety or repose of the residents of the area in which the licensed premises are located, or results in the licensed premises becoming the focal point for police attention, or is offensive to public decency, the licensee may be held in violation of the license and subject to proceedings for suspension, revocation or modification of the license.
The date of the alleged violations were April 20, 2013 and May 18, 2013
5 comments:
Can't some of these neighbors just mind their own business. I work at a place where when our outside caterers come in many times they bring grills that have to go outside in a location where one wouldn't grill, its called rolling with the punches. Honestly if the neighbors push the arts at the armory out I hope they end up with some tyrant in the space and I've never even been to the armory, I'm just so sick of the complaining. I drive by all the time and it doesn't stick out as a place that causes problems, they just unfortunately seem to have pain in the ass neighbors who are trying to run them out.
Okay, all you Ward 5 Online readers and civic powers that be.....pay strict attention to what the first comment person has laid upon you and us.
1----He/she (obviously) does not live in the armory neighborhood.
2----He/she has, admittedly... "never even been to the armory."
3----He/she can tell, just by driving by the armory "all the time" that..."it doesn't stick out as a place that causes problems."
Hey, he/she,it's called: walk a mile in an armory neighbor's shoes!
And God forbid, don't cause an accident on Highland Avenue as you drive by in your vehicle looking at that building instead of watching the road.
For the record, that building you frequently look at while driving doesn't create problems; people in attendance(sometimes)do!
By the way, #1 poster, its not a question that all activities be stopped at the armory. Its all about all involved parties complying with what ALL parties agreed to up-front, including compliance with local ordinances, allowing a co-existence between neighbors and armory goings-on.
Example: a fire ordinance violated that states cooking grills must be 10 feet, or more, from a building.
Measure that driveway from the armory to the adjacent house where they had cooking grills going and do the math.
The first person wrote that the armory neighbors impacted by whatever negatively impacts their quality of life should "just mind their own business."
Anyone see the irony of that statement coming from a person who doesn't even live there as to just who should be minding their own business---impacted people living there; or, one who doesn't and never set foot inside the armory.
No surprise the first poster has not replied to the comments following his/her first post.
By the way, the licensing found the armory guilty of violations and issued warnings.
Future problems if found guilty will result in more severe penalties.
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