AUSTINTOWN — The Zodiac Lounge is a problem, officials say.

The restaurant and bar at 169 S. Four Mile Run Road is under scrutiny by the township police and fire departments, and the Ohio Liquor Control Board.

At least one resident complained at Monday’s trustees meeting and asked what the township is doing about it. Several township officials spoke earlier this week about the bar.

“We’re aware of the issues and monitoring them,” Township Administrator Mark D’Apolito said. “We’ve adopted a zero-tolerance policy there, and we’ve notified our state counterparts in law enforcement.”

The complaints range from excessive noise in the parking lot to after-hours operation, underage drinking, fights and obstructing traffic.

“It’s been off and on for my tenure here,” D’Apolito said. “You have to build up a bit of a case history before you get on (state law enforcement) radar, but I think we’re finally there.”

Police Chief Robert Gavalier said the bar’s most recent problems stemmed from an incident in September. He did not give a specific date, but police reports reviewed by The Vindicator show several incidents last month.

One in particular, he said, involved a fight early in the month and police were notified of several violations inside the bar when they arrived. Gavalier said the business refused to allow police and fire personnel into the bar for at least an hour, and ultimately a manager was cited for obstruction.

Fire Inspector Rick Milliron said a fire department officer who was on the scene reported to him that the bar’s exit and emergency lights were not properly powered and doors were affixed with magnetic-locking systems that were improperly installed.

Milliron said the exit and emergency light violations are very common for businesses. He said the lights are operative on standard 110 power supply, but the lights do not have batteries that would keep them lit if the power goes out.

He said the mag-lock system on some of the doors was installed without the release mechanism so those doors cannot be opened from inside unless the power goes out. He said the business does have other exit doors, so the violation is not as serious.

Milliron said he has not yet been able to gain access to the building and so the Zodiac has not been cited for any fire code violations yet.

“I have been trying to get in touch with the manager to get access to the building because they have not been open during my working hours,” he said.

It was, however, cited by the Ohio Board of Liquor Control on Sept. 27, after Austintown Police called to report the incident from earlier in the month.

Online records show the business was cited for “hindering or obstructing inspection” and “improper conduct not covered by above.” The board has not returned calls seeking clarity on the specifics.

Gavalier said the board commonly gives businesses an opportunity to correct issues listed in violations, and the Zodiac’s online record shows it has done that in the past.

“After so many violations, the state can pull their license,” he said. “To me, it takes a lot of violations for the state to pull anybody’s license.”

Since 2017, online state records show the Zodiac has been cited for bad checks, tax problems, and failure to pay workers’ compensation, but the record shows that those problems have been remedied and the cases closed or dropped.

A LONG LIST OF PROBLEMS

Dating back just to February, police reports show at least 12 concerning incidents at the Zodiac.

Arguably the most serious was on July 30.

The report states that while escorting a state liquor inspection agent, a police officer saw a room along a back hallway with two AR-15 rifles hanging on the wall, loose liquor bottles on a table, loose cash on a desk, and a gallon-bag of a greenish-brown substance that could not be immediately identified.

Before more than one other officer could get more than a glance into the room to verify what the first officer had seen, a man working at the bar told police they were not supposed to be looking in there or walking through the building, and closed that room’s door, which locked automatically behind them.

In February, multiple police departments responded after complaints of traffic overflow onto the road blocking through traffic, including emergency vehicles. The report states there also was a line outside the building, overcrowding inside and a fight broke out. At some point, security pepper-sprayed the crowd. While police were there trying to clear everyone out, a bomb threat was called into the building.

On May 6, while police investigated a car with expired West Virginia plates in the lot, someone told them the person was living in his car there. Police determined that the car is registered to a manager at the business.

On May 27, police responded to a complaint of a theft and fight between two women in the parking lot.

About 7:45 a.m. June 7, police responded after a man assaulted a bartender, and would not leave the parking lot hours after the bar had closed.

On July 26, there were calls about multiple cars in the lot, and after-hours and underage drinking, and a man was found passed out in a car. One day later, there was another complaint about the bar operating and perhaps serving liquor after hours.

On Aug. 22, neighbors complained of patrons making noise outside the building after operating hours and on Aug 24. a man was arrested after allegedly assaulting his ex-girlfriend in the parking lot.

On Sept. 2, a patron reported underage drinking, and also told police his ex was in a car in the parking lot, likely with a gun.

On Sept. 7, another serious incident put a cop in danger. An officer identified Kevin Washington, who had active felony warrants out of the Mahoning County Sheriff’s Office for failure to appear, fentanyl possession, improper handling of a firearm in a car, and aggravated drug possession. While he was attempting to arrest Washington, several patrons of the bar interfered, getting between the officer and Washington, screaming at the officer, and enabled Washington’s efforts to resist arrest until backup arrived.

On Sept. 27, the same day Ohio Liquor Control cited the business, police found a gun in a basement trash can.

On Friday, there were more complaints of the business operating later than it should and three fights there that day. Extra patrols were requested to monitor illicit after-hours operation.

A call to the Zodiac for comment was not returned Wednesday.

Gavalier said the owner of the business — listed on the Mahoning County Auditor’s website as Alco Land Co Inc. of Meridian Road in Youngstown — is aware of the problem and has spoken with police about it.