Local News - October 2002

Council denies pool hall request

By JEREMY ASHTON, LTN Staff Writer

October 4, 2002 - Pool and alcohol still don’t mix in Lincolnton.

At its meeting Thursday night in City Hall, the City Council voted 3-2 against a motion made by Councilman Les Cloninger that would have permitted David and Anna Kuss to operate pool tables in their private social club until midnight and still serve alcoholic beverages.

Those who voted against the motion were mainly worried about the combination of pool and alcohol and the potential for several pool halls to crop up in the city limits.

“I just don’t think we’re ready to open that can of worms to allow anyone to sell beer here,” said Councilman Larry Mac Hovis.

Under the current ordinance, poolrooms and bowling alleys cannot serve alcoholic beverages and must close by midnight. The Kusses were trying to get the ordinance amended to allow owners of pool tables to sell alcoholic beverages and remain open until 2 a.m.

In a 3-1 decision, the council approved amendments proposed by Police Chief Terry Burgin designed to update and strengthen the language of the same ordinance.

Burgin said he is sure the Kusses don’t intend to run a poor establishment, but his primary concern is the well-being of officers and patrons, who could be hurt by pool balls and cues if an incident occurs.

The council also unanimously passed an amendment to another ordinance making parking on the east side of High Street illegal between its intersection with Church Street and its intersection with Pine Street.

Burgin made the recommendation to the council due to concerns that the number of parked cars on both sides of the street could increase the likelihood of an accident.

The vote went against the wishes of many of High Street’s residents on the 200 block, who proposed making the street a “no-through street” as an alternative way to decrease the flow of traffic.

The residents said they may not have enough room for their cars if parking on the east side is taken away.

Several other actions were taken at the meeting:

 A petition by Cinco Investors to have the city annex more than 16 acres of land adjacent to the city limits was unanimously approved. The issue was sent back to the planning board at the last meeting due to a miscalculation of how much money the city would lose in water and sewer revenues because of the annexation.

 Billy Joe Bynum Sr.’s request for the council to rezone less than half an acre of land from the Planned Business District to the Residential-8 District was granted. The land is located on the intersection of Timken Drive and Newbold Street.

 The council accepted a $172,926 grant from the National Parks Service’s Land and Water Conservation fund for Highland Drive Park. The new grant raises the project’s budget from $600,000 to $670,000.

© 2001 Lincoln Times-News  

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