ROCKLAND — A not-so-routine approval of a lodging license for Brunswick Rooms, located at 204 Main Street in Rockland, sparked debate among Rockland City Council members at their Dec. 10 meeting. In August, Brunswick Rooms was deemed a disorderly property by Chief Boucher, and the law allows the city to deny a license if police have responded to an excessive number of police calls to a given property.

Colin Wentworth is owner of the property and Colinda, Inc. is the company conducting business there, running a boarding house that rents its 28 rooms on a weekly basis. The business also rents on long-term basis. In August, the city granted Brunswick Rooms a three-month license and the business on notice. The city’s disorderly house law reads a property can be declared thus if there have been five or more police calls at a single property within a 60-day period or 10 or more calls over the previous year.

In a letter to City Manager James Smith detailing a three-month report from the Rockland Police Department since Aug. 12, the police department responded to 21 complaints at Brunswick Rooms. Boucher reviewed all the complaints as of Nov. 13 and found only one to be considered “disorderly.” Colinda, Inc. has since then been responsible for implementing a plan of correction and improvement for “the safety and good order of the community.”

Based on the improvements, Boucher recommended Colinda, Inc. be granted a license for the next nine months.

In an incident that occurred on Nov. 17, a business next door to Brunswick Rooms complained about a man urinating out of a window. Chief Boucher said that the incident was investigated and the incident was termed a tenant problem. No citation was made and Brunswick Rooms management was advised of the situation.

An amendment to the original license was made and passed by council. The amendment reads as follows:

1. Both Wentworth and Colinda, Inc. shall constitute a license pursuant to the application for lodging house license signed by Colin Wentworth and dated July 19;

2. Licensee shall not tolerate disorderly conduct at the license location;

3. Licensee shall terminate tenancy of any occupant who engages in, or has a guest who engages in, disorderly conduct on the premises;

4. Licensee shall not tolerate any illegal conduct at the license premises;

5. Licensee shall terminate the tenancy of any occupant, or has a guest who engages in, illegal conduct on the premises;

6. Licensee shall take all available steps to terminate and prevent the recurrence of littering on the premises or adjacent premises by the tenant, tenant’s guest, or other person on the premises;

7. Licensee shall at all times maintain the premises in compliance with the City’s property maintenance code;

8. The violation of any condition imposed by the Rockland City Council shall constitute grounds for the revocation of Colinda, Inc.’s lodging license by the City Council, after notice and hearing.

Following the approval of the amendment council voted to grant a nine month license to Brunswick Rooms.

Reach Chris Wolf at news@penbaypilot.com