Show cause hearing set for Oasis

SAUGUS – The show cause hearing for The Oasis Restaurant and Bar is on for Wednesday and it’s anyone’s guess as to how long it could go on.Any show cause hearing raises the specter of the four-month-long Palace Entertainment hearings, most of which lasted long into the night. Selectman Peter Rossetti, however, said he didn’t expect the Oasis hearing to mimic the Palace and Michael Kelleher said he wouldn’t allow it.”We don’t have to do the long drawn out hearing,” Kelleher said. “We know the issues, they know the issues, we just want to correct the issues and move on.”The hearing was called because, despite its name, The Oasis has been a haven for trouble rather than tranquility. Rossetti said the issues up for scrutiny stem from police reports ranging from fights in the parking lot to assault and batteries and gunshots. He said while most are smaller issues that should be swiftly dealt with, there are at least two or three serious issues plaguing the troubled Route 1 North hotspot.The board could face an issue of its own when it comes to doling out a punishment. The restaurant, which was only open sporadically to begin with, has been closed since suffering a fire in late August. Rossetti said it was expected that Oasis would reopen in the two weeks following the fire, which ripped through the restaurant’s ceiling.Even before the fire closed the doors, Rossetti said Oasis was often only open on the weekends. The board cannot legally hit the restaurant with a monetary fine. Generally the board’s main recourse during a show cause hearing is a license suspension.”But if we hit them with a 10-day suspension and they only open on weekends, do we put them out of business for two months?” Rossetti asked.Rossetti said, along with the possible suspension, revocation or cancellation of their liquor and/or entertainment licenses, the club will also face the possibility of having its hours rolled back from 2 a.m. to an earlier closing.Kelleher admitted the restaurant’s closure posed an interesting question.”I’m not sure what their intention is,” he said. “I thought they’d be closed for two weeks.”Rossetti said it was simply his hope that the hearings would be wrapped up in short order and in an orderly manner.”How long it will last depends on their legal counsel,” he said. “Hopefully this won’t turn into a marathon session.”The hearing is Wednesday in the Town Hall auditorium at 7 p.m. and is open to the public.