Restaurant owner requests to put new billiards bar & bistro at WB Galleria

by Marimar McNaughton
Thursday, June 10, 2010

George Glykis of Capone’s Billiards Bar & Bistro will appear before the Wrightsville Beach Board of Aldermen on Thursday, June 10 to propose a new venue planned for the second floor of the Galleria shopping center on Wrightsville Avenue – reports the Lumina News.

The plan earned a favorable recommendation from the town’s planning board, with conditions.

Presented primarily as a dining establishment, the schematic drawings that accompany the application for a conditional use permit indicate the placement of two billiard tables.

The location has a history of disturbing the peace of nearby residential neighborhoods but Glykis said the venue would not operate as a club and live music entertainment would be confined to the indoor area. He said he had planned to operate a portable bar at the restaurant’s covered patio but the town’s ordinance prohibits rooftop bars.

In written comments, the Wrightsville Beach Police Department stated that routine patrol of the new venue would stretch patrols between the town’s limits from the beach strand to the mainland and that a stairway leading to the Galleria’s second level might prove difficult to navigate if patrons were intoxicated.

Glykis said an elevator would be operable during business hours. A potential wet garbage situation was promised to be resolved. Residents will have a chance to voice their concerns during the public hearing at the top of the BOA’s agenda.

Presentation of the town’s fiscal year 2010-11 budget will also be prepared for public input. The BOA trimmed the proposed budget during three budget workshops. A 1.9 cent property tax increase is proposed. If adopted, on June 24, the tax rate will climb from its present 8 cents per $100 of property value to 9.9 cents which represents a 23.75 percent increase for Wrightsville Beach tax payers, not counting contributions to county coffers.

Holding the increase to 1.9 cents was a goal of Mayor Pro Tem Bill Blair, with support from Aldermen Susan Collins and Lisa Weeks. Mayor David Cignotti and Alderman Bill Sisson argued for a minimum of a 2 cent increase.

The board will also discuss a plan to regulate greenspace parking and the creation of an ad hoc Anti Litter Advisory Committee will continue. A filing period for applicants interested in serving on such a committee, already opened, continues through June 18. The board will make decisions about committee size and composition, responsibilities and deadlines for achieving goals. The BOA is expected to appoint members during its
June 24 meeting.

THANKS, LUMINA NEWS!
http://www.luminanews.com/article.asp?aid=6334&iid=221&sud=30