By Amanda Raymond

amanda.raymond@salisburypost.com

The Salisbury Planning Board has recommended that the Salisbury City Council deny a special use permit for the Firehouse Brew Pit.

The Firehouse Brew Pit, a bar at 113 S. Lee St., was originally a temporary spot for Benchwarmers, a sports bar that was on East Fisher Street. Todd Littleton, owner of Benchwarmers and The Firehouse Brew Pit, wants to make The Firehouse Brew Pit a permanent location in addition to Benchwarmers.

The Firehouse Brew Pit was under a temporary use permit, but the permit expired in November. To make the bar a permanent fixture, it must receive a special use permit.

At a meeting on Nov. 24, the board voted that the first two general requirements were met for the special use permit. In regards to the third condition, which states that “the public health, safety and welfare will be assured and the proposed development will not substantially injure the value of adjoining property and associated uses if located where proposed,” the board decided to postpone voting on it so that Littleton could bring back more information and the people in opposition could discuss what would help solve some of the problems they were experiencing.

Since the bar is near the Firehouse Urban Lofts, the opponents who spoke at the meeting were residents of the lofts.

After Chairman Carl Repsher opened the courtesy hearing, Littleton said all of the problems that he has been made aware of are because the bar’s courtyard is not fenced in. The Salisbury Historic Preservation Committee has approved a perimeter fence that would separate the lofts from the bar’s courtyard.

“As far as security, all I can do is keep my patrons off of their property,” Littleton said.

He also said that the Salisbury Police Department does not perceive the bar as a concern.

Littleton said he plans to convert the bar into a restaurant, along with adding more lighting and landscaping to the property. Preston Mitchell, planning and development services manager, confirmed that documents had been submitted regarding plans to remodel the kitchen of the bar in order to convert it to a restaurant.

Littleton said he was willing to work with the residents of the Firehouse Urban Lofts to solve some of the issues that have occurred.

“There is a certain line that should not be crossed. And what I want to work with is to make sure that line’s not crossed,” he said.

Residents of the lofts spoke to the board about the loud noise at 2 a.m., patrons vomiting in alleys and urinating on walls and fighting and loud cursing.

“I can’t watch TV without hearing people yelling, laughing and carrying on,” Kimberly Crowley, a resident of the Firehouse Urban Lofts, said. She also said she has been catcalled by customers and saw two people having intercourse in the stairwell leading to the bar’s basement.

Judy Kandl, secretary to the Firehouse Urban Lofts Membership Association, said the association’s recommendation to the staff was that Littleton be granted an extension of his temporary use permit until he was ready to make the bar into a restaurant.

After the courtesy hearing, planning board member Bill Burgin said he did not think the third condition was met based on the evidence presented.

“This is a tough business … but you have to be able to control it. You have to be able to make folks feel safe and protect public health, and in this instance, it’s not happening,” he said.

Board member Patricia Ricks said she thought there was supposed to be discussion between the two parties involved in order to discuss how some of the problems could be remedied, but that did not happen until city staff arranged a meeting on Jan. 25.

In a motion made by Burgin, the board decided unanimously that the third general requirement for a special use permit was not met. In another motion made by Burgin, the board decided unanimously that their recommendation to City Council would be to deny the special use permit for the Firehouse Brew Pit.

In other board business:

• The fiscal year 2017 goals presentation was delayed until the board’s meeting on Feb. 9
• Based on a statement of consistency, the board recommended that the City Council approve a district map amendment.

Contact reporter Amanda Raymond at 704-797-4222.