ROCKLAND — At the June 8 Rockland City Council meeting, councilors voted in favor of the liquor and entertainment licenses to Rock Harbor Pub and Brewery, which were due to expire after the May 11 council meeting. At that time, councilors postponed their decision on the liquor license until assessments and recommendations by the police, fire, and code enforcement office were completed. They also denied the continuation of the entertainment license during the May 11 meeting, due to complaints of noise violation, but rescinded their vote during the June 8 meeting.

Complaints brought before council in recent months by neighbors, police records, and varying interpretations of state and municipal liquor-license laws have been reanalyzed, and negotiations and conditional provisions have been agreed upon.  

See the attached PDF for the draft license.

Those conditions include requiring a security staff member whose “sole responsibility is maintaining security and code compliance at the doors” as well as inside and outside of the building. Rock Harbor will keep a record of all incidents, take action to reduce noise, and trash picked up outside the establishment.

In addressing the documentation provided by the police department, Councilor Louise MacLellan-Ruf acknowledged that Rockland police do not have noise meters and therefore have to act upon opinion.

“What I think is loud or over the top, a 30 or 35 year old may think is perfectly reasonable,” she said.

Councilor Will Clayton, upon reviewing the police records, found that one habitual complaint came from an individual who threatened to call the police every Tuesday night, which happens to be Open Mic Night.

Dan Pease, who has a bachelor’s degree in business administration, told council, during the May 29 agenda-setting meeting, of starting in 2011 with little restaurant experience and of his reliance on his staff’s knowledge. Now, according to Pease, Rock Harbor has received wide recognition for its beer. Because of this, Pease wishes to develop a full-scale brewery in the next two years.

Because of the grievances cited, Pease said that Rock Harbor has been portrayed as a “rough, dirty place.”

“Unfortunately, I was unable to be at the meeting here when my licensing was discussed. However, I had no idea there would be such an issue,” he said.

Pease has been working with the adjacent neighbor to come to an agreement, though Pease stated in his address to council that he has been working with that neighbor for the past four years. 

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Rock Harbor Pub of Rockland loses entertainment license; liquor license on the line

Reach Sarah Thompson at news@penbaypilot.com.