DOVER, Del.- The fate of Irish Mike's in downtown Dover hangs in the balance now, after a hearing that went over two hours Monday before the director of planning and inspections for the city.
We first told you about the closure of Irish Mike's last week, after the city revoked the bars license after police responded more than 35 times to the address for a number of incidents.
During the hearing, the audience, made up of city officials, state representative Sean Lynn, members of law enforcement, and bar owner Kevin Howard and his daughter, heard from police, the city fire marshal, and from Howard himself.
Howard spoke at length during the hearing, but declined to speak with us afterward.
During the testimony, the audience also saw video of multiple incidents in the vicinity of Irish Mike's, including a fight and a shooting. We also received video from a viewer depicting a violent fight between a large group of people on the sidewalk outside Irish Mike's and the Downtown Dover Partnership building.
Now all that was presented Monday must be taken into consideration by Dave Hugg, director of planning and inspections. He spoke to WBOC after the hearing.
"I think Mr. Howard defended his business as best he could. I think he raised legitimate questions about his responsibility for controlling things outside of his sphere of influence. But I think whether you call them allegations or evidence - the allegations are significant in that there is a connection there to this business operation. I have to ask myself if Irish Mike's wasn't downtown in that location, would those incidents have occurred even if they didn't occur in his business," explained Hugg.
Howard mentioned during the hearing that he would be willing to do just about anything to resolve the matter, and mentioned meeting with Dover Police and Delaware Alcohol and Tobacco Enforcement about potential changes that could be made to make the situation safer downtown. The suggestions he mentioned included changing the bar's hours, charging a cover, and enhancing security. Howard said he would be sending a list to Hugg with all the suggestions.
"When I see that list, that's certainly something I'll take into consideration. He didn't just say you know thank you very much and we're not going to try and fix the problem. I'll have to weigh that against could he have fixed the problem prior to taking this action. That's something I'll have to think about," added Hugg.
Whether Hugg decides to reinstate the license or not, the decision can be appealed by Howard or by any city official or entity involved. Hugg says he plans to have a decision made by the end of the week.
