Milford bar denied adult entertainment license

3/28/08The Milford Zoning Board of Appeals March 13 voted 4-1 to uphold the Planning Board's unanimous decision to deny Doc's Sports Bar & Grille's petition for a special permit to host adult entertainment.

The decision comes on the heels of a protest where picketers stood in the rain on March 9 in front of the building on 340 East Main St. in Milford, marching and carrying signs with slogans such as "No nudes is good nudes" and "Keep Milford safe" to show their displeasure with the bar's request.

"This is a great step forward for all of us who opposed this," said Cheryl Shea, a manager at neighboring Prezo Grille & Bar and a leading opponent. "I'm proud to see the board stood its ground. This is a good day."

Milford zoning laws state that an adult entertainment business cannot be located within a block or 400 feet of a residential zone, dwelling unit, school, place of worship, church, park, playground, youth center, or another adult entertainment establishment.

In a letter written by Town Planner Larry Dunkin, the opposition noted that the pub is too close to the Sikh Temple, as well as sites for proposed projects to build a new school and day care center for the mentally retarded by the state Department of Mental Retardation.

Dunkin also pointed out that the club lies within 400 feet of the Sacred Heart Cemetery, which is a residentially zoned district.

"Contrary to the applicant's claim that the subject premises is not located within 400 feet of a residential zone, it clearly is," Dunkin wrote.

Doc's attorney, Kenneth Tartarian, told the board that his client intends to have burlesque entertainers in the style of Gypsy Rose Lee as well as Chippendales-type performers, and that the shows would "on occasion" include some nudity.

Doc's owner Kevin Coady said he plans to fight the board's decision as hard as he can, despite the objections of the townspeople.

"I don't think it's all the people," Coady said after the decision. "I think quite a few people that we've had talk to us have no problems with it. I plan to take this all the way, as far as I can go."

The Zoning Board has 14 days to file its decision. The law allows 20 days after that for an appeal. Coady left without making any further comment on the hearing, while Tartarian said he planned appeal to either the district or superior court once the decision has been filed.

Opponents of the request presented the board with a petition that had more than 2,000 signatures on it.

"The town of Milford showed the board that we stand behind them on this decision," said former state Rep. Marie Parente, another leading opponent in the case. "We packed the Town Hall tonight and let them know we will not stand for adult entertainment in this town. They had to rule on fact, and that's what they did."

"We can deal with karaoke on Wednesday nights in the summer," Milford resident Patty Bautz said. "But this goes over the line. There's no place for it here - not in our neighborhood.