In December, we told you about a standoff between Jordan Hart—son of Mayoral hopeful Chris Hart—who wanted to build a pub at the corner of Vineyard and Central in Wailuku (aka Hart’s Corner), and a group of neighbors who didn’t think that was such a hot idea. Hart said the pub would bolster the town’s revitalization effort; neighbors said it would snarl traffic and create a nuisance.
At the February 10 Liquor Commission hearing, Hart’s application was denied. LC Watch wasn’t able to attend, but Director Frank Silva said a group of neighbors showed up to speak out against the pub—as they did at the December 9 hearing—with even more sending in written testimony. In all, Silva said, they got “over 100 protests.”
To trigger an automatic denial, more than 50 percent of residents within 500 feet of the proposed pub would have had to oppose it. Silva said the number was slightly less than that, somewhere around 48 percent. “It didn’t meet the requirement, but it was quite a bit,” he said. Enough, apparently, to sway the Commission.
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In other news: Recently, Maui Dance Advocates gave us a heads up about HB2818, a bill introduced on the group’s behalf by Representatives Joe Bertram, Mele Carroll, Faye Hanohano and Cynthia Thielen that would force the LC to define “dancing.” Anyone who’s followed this story understands the significance; anyone who hasn’t can just rent Footloose.
As of February 11, the bill had passed through the Economic Revitalization, Business & Military Affairs Committee and was headed for the Consumer Protection & Commerce and Judiciary Committees.
Which is a long-winded way of saying it’s not dead yet.
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