Soo Liquors at 1420 W. Morse has signed a memo of understanding drafted by the office of 49th Ward Alderman Joe Moore outlining limits on sales of some alcohol products and stopping the sale of items used to ingest illegal drugs.
Following are some of the terms of the memo of understanding signed in January:
Illegal Activities
• No loitering permitted inside and in front of my business
• Post a no loitering sign.
• Ask loiterers to move. If they do not cooperate, I agree to call 911, sign a complaint when officers arrive, and go to the court hearing.
Product Mix
• No Malt Liquor.
• No cheap wine.
• No small bottles (1/2 pints) sold for less than $3.00.
• No Phillies Blunts.
• No Rolling Papers.
• No Chor Boys.
• No Glass Pipes.
The memo was signed after Soo Liquors came to the alderman for assistance in getting a license for its canopy sign. The owner was ticketed for not having a current license for the sign. It has since been removed. Another part of the agreement deals with store's appearance:
Storefront Appearance
• Remove overhead sign.
• Remove sign ironwork.
• Remove iron grates and look into other types of security (such as safety glass, security cameras and alarm systems)
• Apply for help with Dev Corp North Business Improvement Program to design a canopy.
• Install Canopy after receiving approval from Dev Corp North BIP and Alderman Moore’s Office.
Soo's owner also agreed to attend monthly Beat 2431 meetings.
Last year, the city passed the "Deleterious Impact / Public Nuisance Ordinance" amending the Chicago Liquor Code. IT was passed in response to the state Supreme Court striking down the law to vote a single address dry.
Read the continuation for highlights of the ordinance. It's a new tool we can use to make Soo Liquors clean up its act.
The Deleterious Impact/Public Nuisance Ordinance:
• Gives the community a new tool that allows residents to address negative quality of life and public safety concerns in their neighborhoods caused by new liquor license applicants or existing liquor establishments.
• Allows existing and new liquor license applicants a second chance to operate if and when they devise a plan that provides reasonable assurance that the business will not cause a public nuisance or a deleterious impact on the health, safety and welfare of the community.
• Allows the City to revoke a liquor license for public nuisance, and blocks new liquor licenses from operating at the same location for 2 years.
• Prevents liquor establishments from operating when a liquor license is revoked for public nuisance when an appeal is filed, unless granted by the Circuit Court.
• Offers the community the ability to address single liquor establishments without resorting to voting an entire precinct dry.
