ARE 12TH DISTRICT TAVERNS BAD INFLUENCE ON 14TH?

OBJECTIONS FILED TO TAVERN LICENSE APPLICATION FOR 

HORNY GOAT BREWING CO.

ZIELINSKI, TAVERN'S ALDERMAN, IS ON LICENSE PANEL

CITE "NEIGHBORHOOD OBJECTIONS"

"CONCENTRATION OF OUTLETS" IN WITKOWIAK'S DISTRICT

Special to the Readers of Milwaukeeworld.com 

By Michael Horne

And The Milwaukee World Hound Dog Team

The plans for Horny Goat Brewing Company to operate a brewpub and visitor's center at the former Pump House, 2011 S. 1st St. will face objections when the matter appears before the Milwaukee Common Council Licenses Committee tomorrow, Tuesday, September 29th, 2009.

According to a letter sent to Richard A. Jinkins, registered agent for the Horny Hideaway, obtained by the Milwaukee World Hound Dog Team from City Clerk Ron Leonhardt, there is a possibility the license may be denied due to:

"Neighborhood objections to loitering, littering, loud music and noise, parking and traffic problems, fights,shootings, vandalism, thefts, past operation of the premises in such a manner that it created a public nuisance including loud music and conduct which is detrimental to the health, safety and welfare of the neighborhood." 

Did you get all that? That's quite a list for a place that isn't even in business yet!

(Interestingly, a review of Municipal Court records shows only six municipal citations issued for the location since 2006; two were for the failure of a previous owner to obtain needed building permits. The remainder were for vandalism, noise, disorderly conduct and possession of alcohol by an underage person. Frankly that's nothing.)

If the committee is not swayed by the neighborhood objections, which may also be delivered by personal testimony at the hearing, a second cause of denial can be found because of its location "in an area that has previously been found by the Common Council to be over concentrated with alcohol outlets."

 ABOVE: The proposed brewpub / tavern at 2011 S. 1st St., valued at $546,000. The building was bought in April, 2009, by Brew Haus LLC for what appears to be $648,000.

The objection letter from the City Clerk includes a map and list of 54 alcohol licensed premises within a 1 square mile district centered on 1835 S. 6th Street.

But  get a load of this -- unlike the proposed Horny Goat, which is in the 14th District, represented by Ald. Tony Zielinski, each and every one of the "concentrated" alcohol outlets shown on the map is in the 12th District, represented by Ald. Jim Witkowiak. 

I've seen Zielinski use concentration of outlet arguments before, but he usually kept them within his own district. Very curious.

Zielinski is also a member of the License Committee that will hear the application tomorrow.

Surely you have seen the Horny Goat Hummer? Well they've put even more money into the building, and neither one is particularly useful.

UPDATE -- Tuesday, September 29th, 2009 -- No neighbors objected, and neither did Alderman Zielinski, who moved approval. Passed unanimously. What was this "special letter" all about?

The Horny Goat Brewing Co. website.