The city's Beer Wrecker Board was gridlocked Thursday morning when it came to one neighborhood bar along Dodson Avenue that has caused frequent issues for residents in the area.
HB Lounge, at 2716 Dodson Ave., has come before the city board that issues beer licenses a handful of times since acquiring their license last August, and they have received two previous written warnings for operating a disorderly place.
Board members could not pass a motion for another written warning Thursday, receiving only a 4-3 vote in favor of a warning. The seven-member council needs five votes to pass a motion.
"A slap on a wrist three times is like going to the principal's office in school," said council member Andre Harriman, who voted against the written warning. "It doesn't work."
The board finally voted 6-1 on a two-day suspension, with panel member Jackie Thomas dissenting. The business will have to stop serving on Tuesday, July 10, and Wednesday, July 11. Panel member Christopher Keene said suspending it in the middle of the week will have less of an impact on the business that way.
Chattanooga Police Department officers in the district said they have had repeated issues with parking and noise in the area, and officers said HB Lounge has exceeded their occupancy numbers a few times, too. They said one area resident reported their car had been shot at one night and they found a bullet hole the next morning.
An officer said he has five bars in the district he covers, but HB Lounge is the only bar that causes him issues frequently. He said they have found shell casings in the parking lot of HB Lounge before, too.
Owner Keveon Kennebrew told beer board members Thursday that he has hired additional security and set up cones along residential streets letting customers know they cannot park there. Council members said the parking issues could have been handled by the city posting "No Parking" signs, which currently are not there.
Kennebrew said he opened the bar because he wanted a place in East Chattanooga for people to go that was not downtown. He stated it's not a "hood club." The club only allows female customers over 25 and men over 30.
"When you come in my club you have to have your pants pulled up and hat turned around," he said. "We don't call you when we have someone lying on the ground or shot and killed. We don't have those kinds of problem in this area."
Dodson Avenue is a higher crime area, but officers said they have observed most of the issues coming from HB Lounge and not the surrounding residential neighborhood, which usually has older residents and is more quiet.
"Neighbors are calling the police asking for help and now we are here asking the beer board for help," said Officer John Collins.
Officers said there was an issue with too many people being in the club and the occupancy rate being exceeded, too. HB Lounge used to be able to hold only 63 people, but officers said they observed HB Lounge over capacity at least twice. Kennebrew said he remodeled the inside to increase his occupancy limit to 80.
"Overcrowdiness was a problem in the past, so I went in and took some things out of the club," Kennebrew said. "I try to keep it to where it can be safe for me and my staff and so people can move around."
Thomas voted against a warning and suspension because she said it seems like a case of harrassment by the police department.
"It's like we are just waiting for something to happen," she said. "I don't think suspending people five days is appropriate when now his capacity is at 80."
Board member Trevor Atchley said the issues are relatively minor but frequent. Atchley asked why no residents came out to speak to the noise and parking issues. He said residents often contact him stating they aren't aware when violations and permits are coming before the beer board. Agendas for the Beer Wrecker Board are not posted on the city's website beforehand.
Collins said the agenda is posted online at the Hamilton County Coalition website beforehand though and coalition staff tries to reach out to certain neighborhoods if they are ever affected by a beer board violation or permit.
"A lot of these people don't want to come out for fear of retaliation," Collins said.
Contact staff writer Allison Shirk at ashirk@timesfreepress.com, @Allison_Shirk or 423-757-6651.