Council declines to object to liquor permit for Phoenix Fuka Lounge LLC after law director review

Brook Park City Council on Tuesday voted not to object to an application for a liquor permit for Phoenix Fuka Lounge LLC after the law director reviewed state criteria and local incident records.

Law Director Carol Horvath briefed council on the four statutory bases for objection under the Ohio Revised Code: the applicant’s criminal convictions relevant to liquor operations, an unfavorable enforcement record, a location that would substantially interfere with public decency, and neighborhood saturation of liquor permits. Horvath said staff spoke with the police department and reviewed incident reports dating back to February 2021; the applicant recently purchased the business and has no enforcement history the city could use to sustain an objection.

“From the facts that I have found, I don’t see that there are any grounds” to object, Horvath told council, while noting that the Ohio Department of Liquor Control will perform its own background check and can act on convictions if they arise. Several council members expressed concern about the location and operation; Councilman Troyer voted “no” on the procedural motion to find the matter discussed, saying he was worried the name and concept were the same even with a new owner. The roll call for the motion recorded six yes votes and one no.

Council’s action recorded the discussion and did not file a formal objection with the state liquor authority. Horvath and the police department said the city retains enforcement options on renewal if problems arise.