Brook Park council requests 30-day extension to contact Phoenix Hookah Lounge over liquor-permit application

Law Director Carol reported to caucus that she had attempted to contact the ownership of Phoenix Hookah Lounge LLC at 17021 Brook Park Road but found the property locked and staff unavailable. Carol said the factors that could justify rejecting a liquor permit—disregard for law, public-safety problems, improper public conduct, or local license saturation—did not appear to apply in this case.

“Everything is very much locked up tighter than a drum, and there were two vehicles in the employee section,” Carol said, describing her attempt to make contact and recommending continued oversight rather than immediate denial.

Councilmembers expressed concern that applicants should be reachable and said granting an extension to allow contact was appropriate. “I think that they should be available to the city when needed,” Councilman Poindexter said, urging the clerk to request more time rather than setting a precedent that an applicant could ignore city inquiries.

Council moved that the clerk write to the applicant to request a 30-day extension to respond or provide contact information. The roll-call vote approving the request passed; the motion instructs the clerk to seek the extension and for staff to continue monitoring the property and application status.