The Banner receives approval to reopen first floor after safety upgrades
Establishment completes fire suppression installation and other improvements but remains restricted from upper floor operations pending further work.
ROCKLAND - July 8 - The Banner has received approval from the Select Board to reopen its first floor operations after completing required safety improvements, including the installation of a fire suppression system.
Attorney Walter Sullivan, representing the license holder, told the board that his client has worked for several months to bring the property into compliance with various town departments following a voluntary suspension of the alcohol license.
"My client has installed to the satisfaction of the fire department a fire suppression system on the first floor," Sullivan said. "He will not be opening the inn until he has the fire suppression system spread throughout the entire property and that's going to require further design and installation."
The Select Board voted unanimously to reinstate the alcohol license for the first floor restaurant area only, subject to conditions that second and third floor access be restricted. The opening remains subject to final inspection by the Board of Health.
Town Counsel recommended the motion to "reinstate the alcohol license for the first floor restaurant area only, subject to the conditions that second and third floor access be restricted."
The establishment has addressed multiple compliance issues since the voluntary suspension. The owner secured a dumpster for the property to meet Board of Health requirements and updated a parking license with an abutting property, paying back rent and entering into amended legal documents.
The property has been cleaned up substantially, with personal belongings removed from the second floor, which has been blocked off to prevent access from the restaurant and bar. Electrical updates have been completed to the town's satisfaction, along with corrections to building code violations.
Fire Chief Scott Duffey confirmed that while $28,000 in outstanding fines remain owed to the fire department, officials are willing to work with the property owner. The department will collect $4,000 in fines and place an abatement on the remaining amount so funds can be directed toward installing a sprinkler system throughout the entire property.
"The fire department is willing to work with Mr. Barry on this, collecting $4,000 in fines, and then placing an abatement to the remaining amount so that Mr. Barry can use those funds towards a sprinkler system to get the property sprinkled," Duffey said.
A non-conformity issue with the liquor license, where the property had been conveyed into a similar but not identical LLC, has been corrected. The property is now in the name of the license holder and is fully insured.
The inn holder license comes up for renewal in November, requiring substantial additional work before renewal can be granted.
Meanwhile, Rockland prepares for a special election on Sept. 13 to vote on two fire department funding measures approved at the annual town meeting in May.
Town Clerk Liza Landy presented the election timeline to the Select Board, noting that vote by mail is required under rules made permanent after COVID-19, though residents can opt out. The board voted to opt into early voting, which will run Wednesday to Wednesday with Saturday hours.
"I contacted Clifford and Kenny's office indicating that I do not need to wait, that I can get the ballot as quickly as possible, so that we could have absentee voting for the whole month," the Clerk said.
The two ballot questions mirror those voted on previously. Question one asks voters to approve a one time $2 million tax increase for a new ladder truck, with a specific dollar amount listed because there is no bonding or borrowing involved.
Question two addresses the tax increase for the fire station building project. Under state law, no specific dollar amount can be listed because final costs, interest rates and financing fees remain unknown, though the project is limited to the $26.1 million principal amount appropriated at town meeting.
Town Administrator Doug Lapp plans to send bright orange postcards to registered voters, changing from the previous yellow color to avoid confusion with earlier mailings. The postcards will include the election date, time and location, along with explanations of both ballot questions.
"I tried to, without getting into too much detail, because we're limited in space, why we're doing this again," Lapp said of the postcard content.
Landy also addressed confusion about inactive voter status, explaining that residents who don't respond to the annual census are marked inactive but can still vote using provisional ballots. Of 8,000 census forms sent in January, 2,800 inactive cards were mailed in June.
In other business, the Select Board completed its annual reorganization. Tiffanie Needham stepped down as chair after serving one year, with Michael O'Loughlin elected as the new chair. Lori Childs continues as vice chair.
The board also announced new collective bargaining agreements with police unions, including three-year contracts with 2.5% annual wage increases for both patrol officers and superior officers including sergeants and above.
The meeting also included plans to dedicate a new park at East Water and Union Streets in honor of fallen firefighter William N. Mullen, who died in the line of duty during the Strand Theater Fire in 1956. Two bronze plaques are planned, including one naming the William N. Mullen Memorial Park and a larger plaque featuring a tribute from the 1956 Select Board recognizing his service and sacrifice.