Austintown trustees want Zodiac bar closed
AUSTINTOWN — Township officials say enough is enough and they want a local bar closed as soon as possible.
Austintown Trustee Robert Santos said Wednesday a shooting incident over the weekend means the end for the Zodiac Club Lounge & Grill on Four Mile Run Road.
“With this particular business, they have shown a pattern and no corrective action has been taken,” he said. “The situations that occur at this location just get worse each time, and because of that we will be looking at our authority to remove their liquor license and, if it is within our power, to close the business down.”
The Vindicator could not reach Austintown police for comment Wednesday, nor obtain a copy of the report, but Santos said police received a call about 3 a.m. Saturday morning, and found more than two dozen .762-mm shell casings in the parking lot around the business. Santos said nobody was injured in the incident, and police are still investigating.
Santos said he has asked township Administrator Mark D’Apolito and police Chief Robert Gavalier to speak with officials at the Ohio Liquor Control Commission, which is already reviewing the bar’s liquor license.
“I have asked them to reach out and see if they will attach this issue to the file,” he said. “The liquor control board has policies and procedures to follow, and we will do what we can to assist them with that, and we hope their determination is in favor of Austintown and the safety of our residents.”
The bar came to the commission’s attention after a string of incidents in recent months, including repeated noise violations, safety concerns, liquor permit violations, fire code violations and other offenses.
In July, when police and state officials attempted to conduct a liquor license inspection, they said the bar’s management obstructed them repeatedly, and that guns and suspected drugs were found in the office.
In September, when a police officer attempted to arrest a man with felony warrants for drugs, firearms, and other offenses, several patrons interfered and put the officer in danger until backup arrived. When they went back to the business later that month, with state inspectors, they found a gun hidden in a trash can in the basement.
In November, when trustees passed an ordinance giving police more authority to close down problematic events and businesses, they cited the Zodiac as one of the motivations for the law.
“My stake is that we are very open to businesses, and we understand that not every situation can be predicted,” Santos said. “It’s a matter of how a business handles itself, to correct an issue to ensure the safety not just of patrons but residents that surround the business.”
Santos said he does not want businesses in the township to worry about local government overreach.
“The last thing the board would want to do is hinder a business, we are willing to work with anyone to ensure incidents are resolved so they can stay in business,” he said. “But if it continues, we as trustees have to look out for our residents first.”
Santos said the board will take additional action at Monday’s staff meeting but did not give specifics. He said trustees are working with the Mahoning County Prosecutor’s Office.
“We are waiting on our legal team to get back to us on what we can do,” he said.