ROCKLAND — As of Wednesday, May 13, Rock Harbor Pub and Brewery will no longer hold a license to entertain. In review of reports given to Rockland City Council members by police, code enforcement officer and adjacent neighbor Beth Bowley, councilors described the situation as serious, disturbing, and egregious. 

Bowley lives in, and operates tenant and vacation rentals at 410 and 412 Main Street in Rockland, which is next door to Rock Harbor. She said she received many complaints by her residents, and had to refund rental fees for at least four vacationers whose sleep and living conditioners were interrupted by partiers next door.

She spoke of music: “so loud that on several occasions my floor vibrated. The bands often continue past 12 a.m. The patrons congregate outside, smoking and shouting in close proximity to the residential windows, and I have endured behavior from the patrons including frequent loud fights, urinating on my back lot, and on at least one occasion, drinking on the side walk and breaking glass, not to mention the daily cigarette cleanup.”

Bowley, who said she has no problem living next to a bar that operates within city ordinance parameters, has reached out to Dan Pease, operator of Rock Harbor, many times, trying to come to an agreement about the noise level.

John Root, Rockland Code Enforcement Officer, told the council that he has met with Pease, suggesting solutions, such as keeping the doors shut while bands play, and moving the entertainment to the north side of the building, as the previous establishment, Black Bull Tavern, had done. He also told the council that he’d made Pease aware of the May 11 council meeting.

Those suggestions have not materialized, according to Root, and Pease did not attend the council meeting, nor did anyone speak on his behalf.

Root provided six samples of noise violations to the Council.

Because the bigger party events occur during the summer, and Root has only been tracking Rock Harbor for a short time, he said, samples did not reflect the loudest sounds that have been known to emit from the pub, according to Bowley. These samples also happened to be obtained while the doors to the pub were open.

The Rockland Police Department submitted a page of violations against Rock Harbor, which included public urination, and improper discarding of cigarette butts on the sidewalk outside Bowley’s building.

After Councilor Will Clayton suggested allowing a temporary, conditional license to Rock Harbor, which would allow the council to delay their decision until June, Councilor Valli Geiger disagreed.

“We have three years of complaints,” she said. “We have three years of reports to the police, and no efforts to in any way contain the noise and be a good neighbor.”

Rock Harbor may reapply for an entertainment license following a 30-day period, according to City Clerk Stuart Sylvester.

The liquor license, due to expire Wednesday, May 13, will be extended until the next council meeting, June 8, provided that consultations with the police and fire departments and code enforcement office allow it.

Sarah Thompson can be contacted at news@penbaypilot.com