Agenda Text
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Venus Pizza and Grill Owner responding to the Licenses and Permits Committee's recommendation for their Extended Operating Hours License application (#204931).
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Official Text
To the Honorable Board:
Please understand our frustration and our disappointment in regards to yesterday’s hearing about extending the hours of our business. As I explained in the hearing our business has been suffering for a few months and we are willing to work harder to try to keep up, we were willing to take any extensions that the board would have allowed us even if it was until 2AM and for delivery only but it looked like Mary’s decision was bias to begin with. After hearing the first restaurant give their statement and the neighbors statement I felt that the same issue that his neighbors had pretty much the same worries the two couples from our neighborhood stated, exactly the same. Well actually some difference, but I am sorry noise and the smell of the food and the cigarette buds on the side of our store wasn’t a reason for us to be denied any kind of extension. It was unfair that the previous business that just open weeks ago was given a license for a try out for 6 months and when I requested at least let us have it for 3 months Mary refused. This a collage area and its right on Broadway which is a busy street if these neighbors wanted quiet and peace then they are in the wrong neighborhood. As of the board comments in regards to our cleanliness because Mary came over and saw cigarettes buds on the side of our store that is absurd that really made me very sad to hear as we had just passed the health inspection and we do our best to clean the store outside, even the neighbor said that he came and talked to us and we cleaned it. As the neighbors were saying they are cigarette buds everywhere and beer cans (which we don’t sell) and they don’t come from our store but from the neighborhood kids that is the way the neighborhood around there is, everywhere you walk the school kids throw things everywhere. And as they do their best to clean their yards we do our best to clean outside too even the city street, we never had any violation against our cleanliness. You can come any day in the store and see that the comments that were made about the cigarette buds were clearly baseless. Even if I go now in the neighbors front yard he will have plenty of trash. I would like to bring this up to someone’s attention. It is unacceptable that an establishment for over 7 years isn’t given the opportunity for extended hours but a brand new business is. Please explain to me what was the reason given for our denial. Mary stated in the end we can come back after 3months, really what difference would it make if we are not also given a try and prove that we wont bring any more noise to the already highly traffic area with lots of car noise. The 2 neighbors clearly didn’t want any restaurant next to their house their frustration was not about the extension of the hours. Somerville would not be the Somerville that is today if the businesses are not given the opportunity to help foster and grow a safe place for students to order at night. I constantly hear from students that there is no pizza place around open late to eat near in that area and they order from different city’s, why not keep this income and taxes in Somerville?
Thank you,
Loreta Mitko
Owner of Venus Pizza and Grill