FeedsSafety concerns mount with Penn Grille
The hearing to discuss the renewal of a Michigan State Liquor Control license of the Penn Grille and Bar has been rescheduled to April 21 to allow the owners’ attorney to study the case.
After several high-profile incidents in the past year including a fight last week that resulted in a patron being charged for assault, Plymouth City Commissioners were prepared to vote on the recommendation on Monday during their bi-weekly public meeting. They agreed to delay the vote to provide the owners of the downtown bar a chance to address the concerns of city officials.
“This would allow their attorney to be brought up the speed on this as he was just brought into the situation,” said City Manager Paul Sincock.
Commissioners and law enforcement officials have expressed concern that the establishment is becoming a danger to the community. According to a report from Plymouth Police Chief Wayne Carroll, 14 individuals have been arrested for drunk driving after leaving the Penniman Avenue bar in the past year.
The bar is also the location where a city officer was forced to use his taser gun while arresting a patron who assaulted another police office last summer.
“The first time that an officer had to use a taser,” Carroll added.
Carroll said he has met with William Farewell and Vince Spica, who along with Chris Knight own the tavern, to discuss the issues.
The incident in the bar last week, which resulted in a man being rushed to the hospital with severe head injuries was the final straw for Plymouth Mayor Phil Pursell.
“Those guys are digging themselves a hole, pretty deep,” said Pursell, who added that that reports from witnesses of the altercation said both men were in the bar from around 2:30 to 11 p.m.
Dave Krupin, a 34-year old Plymouth resident, was charged with assault in connection with the March 31 incident.
“Just seems plain to me they were over-serving. 2 p.m. until 11 p.m. is indicative of that.”
Elected officials and law enforcement officers are not the only entities concerned with the bar.
Jennifer Alt, the owner of Doll House, a children’s toyshop located next door to the bar said she often has to remove garbage, broken bottles, urine and vomit from her property she attributes to drunken bar patrons.
“We’ve absolutely had it with the Penn Grill,” said Alt, who recently filed a non-trespassing order with the Plymouth Police Department barring Penn Grille employees or patrons from her property.
In a letter sent to the city by the bar ownership group, they have indicated that changes have been made to respond to the issues.
Employees have received training from the state liquor control board and the number of drunk-driving arrest attributed to bar patrons has decreased to three in the past six months.
Carroll said their steps of action might not be enough.
“There is not a bar in town that hasn’t had a patron receive an OWI. (Operating While Intoxicated citation) But if we are going to have this level of behavior—and area expected to police it—we’ll need more bodies.”
Calls to the owners were not returned by press time.
The hearing is a two-step process. First, the bar will meet with the City Liquor License Review Commission, which consists of Pursell, City Commissioner Dave Workman and City Commissioner Chris Lynn. After their review, the full commission will discuss the recommendation. Sincock said the city could only recommend a course of action to state liquor control authorities. The final decision is up to the state.
Should the Penn Grille and Bar have their liquor license renewed?
