Dear Sirs / Madams
APPLICATION LLA19090019 – LOBEY FIESTA BISTRO, ERF 26014 323 MAIN ROAD, OBSERVATORY.
The Observatory Civic Association as representative of the residential and business community is in support of any business enterprise in the Observatory Main Road area, only if it is evident that it will make a positive contribution to the community.
The Observatory Civic Association hereby registers an objection to the application for a Liquor Licence by Gires Lobey for Lobey Fiesta on the following grounds:
● The applicant had an existing liquor license that was operating under the restaurant Cargill’s in Rondebosch. The lease on the premises in Rondebosch was terminated, and the applicant is seeking to transfer that liquor license to a new business in Observatory. It is the opinion of the OCA that a completely new liquor license should be obtained (and not an application for transferral) as the proposed business is not the same business operation. The proposed business in Observatory is a bar and nightclub with no evidence of any food being sold (although a kitchen is registered in the plans).
● The granting of a liquor license will not be in the public interest. Observatory as a neighborhood has an unusually high concentration of establishments that serve liquor. It is the OCA policy not to support any applications for further liquor licenses in Observatory due to the already high density of current liquor establishments – unless a new business can prove that their main focus is on the provision of food rather than alcohol. There are already three establishments in the Main Road Observatory boundary area that serve alcohol. Particularly late at night, unruly anti-social behavior associated with alcohol consumption is leading to substantial noise disturbance for the residents of the blocks of flats along this stretch of Main Road.
● Lobey Fiesta plans indicate that this is a night club type application with a dance floor – this will probably be similar to the other drinking “lounges” on Main Road which cause a lot of problems for SAPS. This location used to be a shop and directly behind it is a row of residential houses – so noise and anti-social behavior associated with drinking will affect the adjacent neighbors – thus this change of use would be detrimental to the area. There is an open courtyard right next to a dance floor so loud music will, no doubt, spill out into the courtyard and affect the residential properties immediately adjacent to the proposed business – this will most certainly prejudice neighboring residents.
The Alcohol Harm Reduction Policy of the Western Cape Government has the goal of reducing alcohol outlet density. There are already three other bars within a couple of blocksofthisproposedbusiness. Thisdensityofpubsisanegationoftheintentofthis Policy.
The OCA respectively reminds both the Western Cape Liquor Authority and the City of Cape Town, that their mandate is to represent the best interests of the local community and not to rubber-stamp liquor license requests. Therefore, the OCA requests the
Western Cape Liquor Authority and Sub-Council 16 not to grant a liquor license to an establishment with a night club business focus immediately near a residential area – this is detrimental to the public interest.
On behalf of the Observatory Civic Association:
Tauriq Jenkins
Chair : Observatory Civic Association [email protected]