New Ronci resto joint seeks liquor licence

[attach]3724[/attach]The owner of a new pizza joint in a residential area in Roncesvalles has applied for a liquor licence.

The Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario issues liquor licences, but councillor Gord Perks said both the community and city are notified of applications so they can make any concerns heard. If there are no concerns, or they can be resolved, the commission can approve a licence without a hearing.

Perks is hoping some consensus can be reached on the application for Pizza Delfina, a new business opening up at 321 Roncesvalles Ave.

“I have had some conversations with the community and owner,” Perks said on Feb. 15. “We are close to coming to consensus.”

With consensus, a pro forma hearing is held, where the city and community mention conditions, and if the owner agrees then the Alcohol and Gaming Commission normally rubber stamps it, he said.

Some standard conditions that come up in these cases where a business is operating close to residential homes includes ensuring no audible noise, a site contact to call if problems arise, seating so the restaurant doesn’t act like a bar, no dance floor and no DJ.

Another issue that may arise is residents may want liquor to stop being served before the 2 a.m. cutoff so patrons don’t exit noisily in the wee hours, Perks said.

“The problem with (Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario) liquor licences is they stick with an address, not the owner,” he said. “So the liquor licence has to be written in such a way that if ownership changes, the type of establishment (remains) the same.”

The issue has come up in the ward previously with other establishments.

“On Roncesvalles there were some cases where ownership changed and the restaurant was more like a bar,” Perks said. “On Queen Street we had businesses applying for restaurant licences but behaving like night clubs.”

Perks wrote a motion, which passed at city council Feb. 8, stating the city should notify the Alcohol and Gaming Commission that a liquor licence for Pizza Delfina should not be approved unless conditions are attached. City staff also must attend any hearings to ensure appropriate conditions are included in any approvals of a liquor licence.