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Neighbors Want Liquor Control Board To Take Action Against Bar In Carnegie

CARNEGIE, Pa. (KDKA) -- After a year and a half of complaining and more than 100 calls to police, neighbors in Carnegie want the Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board to take action.

KDKA's Meghan Schiller reports a three-person board will now decide the fate of Hottie's Martini and Cigar Bar's liquor license.

hottie's
(Photo Credit: KDKA)

The bar sits along West Main Street in the heart of Carnegie, but neighbor Rick Bennett isn't drinking inside.

"It got to the point where police basically had to sit outside to control the issue," Bennett said.

He is one of many neighbors banding together to ask the Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board to not renew the bar's liquor license.

"They're supposed to have everybody out by 2:30. They were open till 4 or 5 o'clock in the morning," Bennet said.

KDKA's Meghan Schiller: What would you hear?

Bennett: Fights, loud noises, there was drag racing.

Bennett and his wife, Carolyn, live across the street and started taking videos. First, videos of the crowds and their parked cars overflowing into the neighborhood. Then of the late-night sirens and squealing tires.

"We've been living this nightmare for about a year now and it started with the COVID shut down," Carolyn said.

On Tuesday, more than a year later, neighbors addressed the Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board's hearing examiner, who acts like a judge. The judge will now generate a report to be presented to the board within the next 28 days. It will either recommend the board renew the bar's liquor license, not renew the license, or renew with some conditions in place such as a different closing time, requirement for metal detectors, etc.

The judge will now generate a report from the board within the next 28 days. It will either recommend the board renews the bar's license, not renew the license or renew with some conditions in place.

Even though the judge needs to prepare a report, there is no timetable for reaching a resolution.

"We're working families. The kids can't sleep, we can't sleep. We've had enough," Carolyn said.

The Bennetts said things have calmed down as of late, but they fear it is because of the pending hearing.

"If they stay the course where they're at, I think the community could deal with it. But like I said, we're all afraid that once everything's done with, they'll go back to what they were doing." Rick said.

The company that owns the bar, Three Duran, LLC, did not yet respond to our request for comment.

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