Saugus to again explore idea of bar rollback

SAUGUS – Resident Janice Jarosz has asked the Selectmen to once again consider rolling back closing times for liquor establishments to 1 a.m.Jarosz said when Town Meeting member Ray Lawrence raised the issue in January, Selectman Stephen Castinetti said he thought the board needed to do some homework on the issue.”I think our homework is done and there are enough solid reasons to consider scheduling a public hearing in order to re-evaluate our present liquor license regulations and seriously consider adjusting our closing hour,” she said.Jarosz pointed out that both Lynn and Revere rolled hours back to 1 a.m. closings in January and July, respectively. Malden also passed a bylaw calling for liquor establishments to refuse entry to anyone who tries to get in after 12:45 a.m.Jarosz said that leaves Saugus and Boston as the only communities in the immediate area with 2 a.m. closings.Selectman Peter Rossetti said Wednesday changing closing times is just not that easy.Rossetti argued that the town cannot arbitrarily roll back bar hours simply because it wants to. He said there has to be a reason, but Jarosz and others argue that clubs like Tabu Ultra Lounge and Nightclub and The Oasis Restaurant provide plenty of reasons.The same night Jarosz spoke on the rollback, the board had already voted to bring both clubs in for show cause hearings based on acts of violence, parking lot brawls and other incidents that have taken place dating back more than six months.In the past, board members have also said they didn’t believe the Alcohol Beverage Control Commission would uphold such a change, but it did for both Lynn and Revere.”Many of us believe that such action would be in the best interest of community safety, would help to alleviate the demands of our police department and would create a level playing field with liquor establishments in our neighboring communities,” Jarosz said.Selectman Stephen Horlick said he thought newly appointed Police Chief Domenic DiMella should be asked to consider the issue.But he also pointed out that many establishments already close by 1 a.m. and only a few would be affected by the change.”Only a select few are open until 2 a.m. and (police) deal with those problems when they arise,” he said. “But we should send the chief a letter to ask his opinion since he is the chief?”The board voted 4-0 with Chairman Donald Wong, co-owner of Kowloon, abstaining because he is a liquor license holder in town and any action on the issue would affect him directly.