The denial of the liquor license for Homer’s Sports Bar in Biddeford Monday was a tough decision for the city council, but we believe it was the right one.
A bar must to be able to serve liquor, and denying a bar owner his or her livelihood is not a decision to be made lightly. That said, however, Homer’s was given a full year to address the police department’s concerns and it appears little was done to change the atmosphere there for the better.
Police received more than 30 calls last year to the sports bar, and nearly the same amount this year, according to Biddeford Police Chief Roger Beaupre.
Police have said that multiple calls have originated at Homer’s, ranging from disorderly conduct to assault, drug trafficking, and serving people who were intoxicated.
Many of those complaints involved the owner, who is facing charges of assault and unlawful sexual touching, among others. In addition to the personal charges, Huot is also facing seven administrative notices relating to liquor violations at the bar and illegal acts there.
This doesn’t sound like the kind of business we want in our city.
Everyone knows that, in excess, liquor causes people to behave erratically, foolishly, violently and dangerously. Several other drinking establishments are located downtown, and are not without their share of problems, but they have retained their liquor licenses, presumably because they have been willing to work with police to keep their need for service to a minimum.
We would not contend that owner Thomas Huot “doesn’t care” about the police concerns at his bar, as he has allegedly been told by others, but that he didn’t take the threat of losing his license very seriously.
Owning and operating a bar is a big responsibility because it involves the sale of intoxicating liquors in an interactive environment. With his own alleged problems with the law seemingly bleeding over into his business, it seems that Huot is not up to the challenge ”“ and it’s creating an unsafe environment in an area the city is trying to improve.
As Chief Beaupre told the council, the only reason the bar had a license during this past year is because they were given a year to improve.
Well, now here we are, and the police department kept its word by advocating to the council that the license be revoked. The council should be commended for helping the police department do its job by upholding the chief’s recommendation.
In the interest of supporting local business, we would advocate for the bar to have a second chance, but Huot already had that chance last year when Chief Beaupre warned him of possible license revocation if the need for police service at the bar did not decrease.
We agree with City Council President Bob Mills that Huot should have changed his management of the bar since that time.
Huot has argued that Homer’s has helped to improve the building in which it is a tenant and the landlord has said he needs the rent money from the bar to keep up the building. Those are concerns they should have thought about when the police told them of the possibility of losing the liquor license a year ago.
Also, the fact that Homer’s Bar is surrounded by an eclectic gift shop and an after-school care center, both of which chose those locations near the pre-existing bar, is not of any consequence to the decision about the liquor license.
All of those uses are OK per the city’s zoning and the bar’s existence was no secret when the shop and child care program moved nearby.
Regardless of who the neighbors are, Homer’s should not be allowed to be a hub for illegal activity and violence, working against the efforts of so many people who have focused on revitalizing the area.
We hope the outcome of this denial results in renewal of the liquor license along with major changes at the bar, making it a safer place that still provides a good time for its patrons.
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Questions? Comments? Contact Managing Editor Kristen Schulze Muszynski by calling 282-1535, Ext. 322, or via e-mail at kristenm@journaltribune.com.
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