FeedsCouncil to hear ‘Xtreme’ woes
The City of Wayne may have to take extreme measures to deal with the popular nightclub, Club Xtreme.
The city will host a special meeting at 6:30 p.m. on Monday to discuss the renewal of the liquor license at the club, which is on Michigan Avenue just west of Wayne Road. It’s the first time the city administration has scheduled such a meeting, according to City Manager John Zech.
Because of ongoing problems at the nightclub, Zech said he and police officials have requested direction from the city council on the issue.
“It’s gotten to the point where it’s come to this,” Zech said.
The club opened in 2004 and the city has had a contentious relationship with owner Bob Wojtowicz prior to that, dating back to issues relating with his compliance with city ordinances.
Since the club has been open, Police Chief John Williams said the police department has regularly been called there. Williams said issues officers face are varied—from minors drinking alcohol, to reports of violence, public urination or traffic concerns from patrons crossing Michigan Avenue without regard for traffic—but they have been plentiful. The department gets continual calls from concerned residents, too, he said.
“When residents call in, they’re going to want to know what the police department is doing about it,” Williams said. “We’re all over it.”
Two weeks ago, the crowds at the club were so large on a Friday night that police had to shut down a portion of Michigan Avenue and call several other agencies in for assistance, Williams said.
“There were a lot of people out there. The sidewalk was full; it was shoulder to shoulder,” said Lt. Jason Wright of the Wayne Police Department. “They were standing in the street and crossing back and forth.”
The call for assistance came from the club itself, he said, when either the owner or the security detail realized the club was at capacity and the large crowd gathered outside, too.
Wojtowicz admitted he had problems when the club first opened, but said things have since calmed down.
“I haven’t had any fines or violations in well over a year,” Wojtowicz said. “I don’t know what they could be having a problem with.”
Williams said police officials would provide details to the council as far as the number of calls they respond to at the club and the resulting drain on the force. The bulk of the problems, he said, came from non-residents who attend the club and the ownerships apparent inability to regulate them.
“We’re not trying to run him out of business,” Williams said. “We don’t want to shut him down. We’re just trying to get our message across that he should do what’s right.”
Technically, the city doesn’t have the authority to revoke the liquor license. Those are handled by the Liquor Control Commission (LCC), a state agency. The police department merely gathers the information and forwards it to that agency, the way they send evidence to the Wayne County Prosecutor when they investigate alleged crimes. Any decision on the liquor license will come from the LCC, not the city, Williams said.
Zech said the meeting was designed to give the council a complete, accurate picture of the issues at the club.
“The council may or may not make a decision that night, but you’ve got to start somewhere,” Zech said.
Wojtowicz said he wasn’t specifically sure exactly what would be brought up on Monday.
“It’s a witch hunt,” he said. “They’ve been after me for a while now. They won’t quit.”
