HomeMy WebLinkAbout03-26-17 Public Comment - L. & R. Merkel - TapRoomMarch 26, 2017
City Commissioners:
In regard to the request to approve a full beverage license for the Taproom on Mendenhall, Rita
and myself request this permit be denied. Being long time residents of the Bozeman community
and sending four children through the Hawthorne Grade School and the entire Bozeman school
system we both feel this is not in the best interest of the students, staff and families.
Changing the postal address obviously is a very poor attempt to skirt the state law. As
commissioners this should be very easily seen as a deceptive tactic to simply fool your judgment.
Granting this application based on this technicality will certainly demonstrate disregard to the
importance of the decision making process which you have been elected to fulfill.
It is very apparent that the parking is being impacted during and after school hours.
This is a critical time when students are being picked up by parents. The students that are leaving
the school grounds and headed west are exposed to the traffic that is created by a full service
bar.
Additional consideration should be given to this application as to the overall impact to families
and students attending school activities after regular school hours. This is a community and
neighborhood issue as schools are for the education of our children.
This request to expand its application should not even be an issue. Granting the initial license
was a very poor decision by the commissioners. Simply reviewing the 6oo feet restriction should
have been enough to deny the initial application.
If this expanded license is granted it will send a message as to the overall attitude of the
commission in regard to the health, safety and wellbeing of the student body of Hawthorne, the
staff, families and the entire Bozeman School District.
Thank you for your consideration in denying this application.
Larry and Rita Merkel