Liz Beavers
Cumberland Times-News
September 27, 2007 11:59 am
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RIDGELEY, W.Va. - Of the almost 20 people who voiced their opinions at Wednesday's public meeting about the application for a liquor license for the Coffee Stop, a business proposed for the corner of Bridge and John streets in Ridgeley, only six spoke in favor of the proposed establishment.
Those six included the owner's husband and son, her attorney, a family friend and two teenage residents of the town.
The meeting, presided over by several members of the West Virginia Alcohol Beverage Control Commission, was attended by more than 40 concerned citizens and elected officials.
Most of those who spoke against the establishment voiced their concerns about traffic and safety problems that they said would only be increased by the addition of another bar.
"The approaches to this intersection from both directions have curves which make it hazardous," Mayor Richard Lechliter said, noting that the increased traffic that would be created by a business in that area "could block or hinder access to the rear of the homes nearby and ... otherwise interrupt their peace of living."
"Bridge Street has an extremely sharp turn at John Street and also at the next corner," resident Kathleen High agreed, noting that the layout of the intersection "has contributed to many accidents.
"A business of this kind is very inappropriate due to the number of safety issues it would cause," she said.
Calling Ridgeley "a small, quiet residential town," High said the addition of another bar would create an even greater burden on its "small, over-extended police force, fire and rescue squad."
Police Chief Mike Miller agreed, adding that the present two-person police force is already kept busy with the night life that crosses the river into Ridgeley when the Cumberland area bars close at 2 a.m.
"We are already stretched beyond capacity with the establishments we have now in town," he said.
"I've had officers stabbed; I've had officers run over ... We have our hands full with what we have now."
Other residents spoke of fights, public urination and other nuisances which they must already endure around the time the Ridgeley bars close at 4 a.m.
Larry Jackson, husband of business owner Barbara Jackson, expressed his confusion over why there has been such a public outcry against the Coffee Stop.
"We didn't come up here to ruffle any feathers; we came up here to open a business," he said.
"We have nine different businesses and we don't have any of the types of problems you people are talking about here tonight.
"In fact, we do a lot of charity work. We're not here to take away from the community, we're here to give back to the community."
Jackson also questioned why, when they had first contacted the town of Ridgeley about opening the Coffee Stop almost a year ago, town officials had accepted the business's paperwork without question.
"Your previous mayor signed off on the form," he said. "We never would have gone any further if he wouldn't have signed off on it."
"First of all, our previous mayor is now in jail, and we didn't have the knowledge of this business until the new administration took over," resident Susan Daugherty said.
Lechliter, who served on the town council under former Mayor Mitchell Reeves, told the ABC representatives that town officials had been told their "hands were tied."
"The council over the past two years knew very little about this," he said. "We were told we had no say in it."
Jackson applied for an ABC liquor license because it is required by the state in order to operate video lottery machines.
Others who spoke against the granting of the license included Mineral County Commission President Janice LaRue, Commissioner Wayne Spiggle and Carpendale Mayor Casey Lambert.
ABC representatives told the crowd Wednesday that they would consider their comments, as well as any letters that have been submitted, and make a decision on the license.
They acknowledged, however, that the process would take "several weeks."
Liz Beavers can be reached at lbeavers@times-news.com.
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