Residents near Detroit's West Village are raising concerns over the concentration of alcohol-serving spaces near a local school, while business owners say they followed every city rule and want to know why it's an issue now.
The establishments along Kercheval are the subject of a memo from Councilwoman Renata Miller, asking the building department to review city and state compliance. Several establishments along Kercheval are under scrutiny: Two Birds, Barkside, Grandma Bob's Pizza, which has yet to open, the proposed Bar 9, and Our House Cafe Bistro.
7 News Detroit reporter Randy Wimbley has the story in the video below:
Kar Green and Lea Hunt are co-owners of Two Birds, a neighborhood bar in Detroit's West Village on Kercheval.
"We've been in business now going on six years we've never had an issue in the past, we've stayed up on our compliance and our approvals," Green said. "This is the first time we've heard anything like this and it did come out of left field."
Hunt said the owners are open to addressing neighbors' concerns.
"We're here to talk if there's parking issues, if there's noise issues. We are. We live in the neighborhood. We are here, we want to make — do right by our neighbors," Hunt said.
Cecil Johnson plans to open Our House in 2027 and hopes the probe does not set him back.
"Opening a small business is a lot. We're small businesses. We're not being funded by corporations... every day that we're not open, we're losing money," Johnson said.
Teresa Davis-Jones with the Islandview Association says residents worry about crime and the bars' proximity to Garvey Academy, a K-8 school.
"This is ridiculous. There are already 3, 4, 5 bars in this area. We don't need another one," Davis-Jones said. "The state must deny any new applications for an alcohol retail license... if the proposed location is within 500 ft of a school building or church," Davis-Jones said. "The liquor store that is proposed over here, which is bar 9, is within proximity of 500 ft of the school."
Councilwoman Miller says the memos are just that: A review.
"As an elected councilwoman, it's my responsibility to ask questions, review concerns, and make sure our city's rules and regulations are being followed," Miller said. "We must make sure that zoning requirements, licensing rules, and other applicable regulations are being followed. Asking questions and seeking responsibility. It's not an attack on any small business. It is about making sure the process is fair, transparent, and consistent with businesses, owners, owners and residents alike."
Right now, it's unclear what happens if businesses are found out of compliance.
"All of our business owners have been operating in good faith. They have done what the city has told them to do. So if there's an issue with their zoning, that is on the city," Mac Farr from Villages of Detroit CDC said.
Farr says the city needs to reform its zoning process.
"Our city's zoning ordinance is an absolute disaster. And we had the opportunity last year to begin to reform it, and that didn't come to pass. So, I would strongly urge the city council, the city planning commission, and the mayor's office to pick the mantle of zoning reform back up," Farr said.
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