Community Meeting - 5100 Block of Penn

There will be a meeting on Friday, January 4, 2008, at 9:00 A.M. at the Bloomfield-Garfield Corp. Community Activity Center, 113 N. Pacific Ave. (right off Penn) in Garfield, for all interested parties that want to be part of a drive to address the Pap's 'n Us liquor license transfer to the former owner of Buff's Bar. Buff's Bar was located at 5497 Penn Avenue. Though it was never formally declared a nuisance bar, we received periodic complaints from residents and business owners about individuals who congregated in and around the premises.

Pap's 'n Us, located at 5106 Penn Avenue, has unfortunately been attracting a lot of loitering in front of the establishment, and some of these individuals may be persons who used to frequent the Horoscope Lounge before it closed. How will the new owner address this problem?

This block of Penn Avenue, from Winebiddle to Evaline, has become a major hangout for loitering, drug dealing, and prostitution. A new bar, if not well-managed, could likely add to the current problems.

We have some off our most valuable community assets on this block, including National City Bank, Little Angels Day Care Center, All God's Creatures Pet Grooming, Loysen + Kreuthmeier Architects, BGC, GJA, Thomas Merton Center, etc. Several other valuable community assets are located very close by, including Persad, Waldorf School, People's Restaurant, Pho Minh Restaurant, and Attack Theater, along with several independent art galleries, etc.

As many of us know all too well, it is easier to prevent a bar from opening than to close one that's become a serious nuisance. Let's as a community decide whether we want to have another tavern owner taking over what has become a problematic situation for many. Together we can be effective!