WESTBROOK — The City Council Monday unanimously denied a liquor license extension to the Fraternity Order of Eagles, saying the club’s plans to serve alcohol on its grounds beyond its back deck didn’t fit with its zoning.

The Eagles’ proposal to allow games, barbecues and drinking on its Saco Street property, a residential growth zone, went before the City Council a few weeks back, along with a petition to deny the extension signed by 11 neighbors.

“Our neighborhood is downhill from the Eagles with the only barrier being trees, and the sound travels in a way it seems they are in our backyards. When autumn comes and the leaves are gone you can see people on the back deck. …. it’s like having a neighbor who has block parties every weather-permitting evening,” the petition read.

The item was postponed so City Officials could look into the zoning and existing resident noise complaints.

“I am concerned that this is impacting the (neighbors). Where the club is, they are not zoned for that kind of business. When Knights of Columbus left and sold it to them, they were grandfathered in,” Councilor Ann Peoples said at the July 1 meeting.

“They are grandfathered so we cannot change that, but we can prohibit the expansions into a larger thing such as this, Councilor Mike Foley said. “This extension to the yard area would be something that would be a significant disturbance to the neighborhood.”

Councilors denied the extension Monday.

The council also approved the permanent consolidation of voting locations. All five wards will now vote at the Community Center.

Councilor Brendan Rielly raised concerns about the need to shut down the food bank at the Community Center for the day during voting, but City Clerk Angela Holmes said she is working on ways to keep the pantry open.

“It was a good point, as for many people using the food bank, they rely on that,” Holmes said.

In other business, the council gave preliminary approval for financial contributions from the Westbrook Recreation & Conservation Commission for three separate projects: $12,000 towards construction of the Saccarappa School Playground; just under $10,000 for a pedestrian bridge over Mill Brook; and $5,000 for the design of a master plan for the expansion and redevelopment of Bicentennial Park off of Hannaford Drive.

The funding comes from contributions to recreation accounts, managed by the commission.

The council gave preliminary approval to accept a Community Development Block Grant for $70,000 to be put toward repairs and renovations to the Cornelia Warren Four Season Rink on Lincoln Street.

The rink, built in 1994, will see a total of $200,000 in repairs, with $50,000 coming from the Cornelia Warren Community Association, $50,000 from Soccer Maine and $30,000 from the U.S Soccer Foundation.

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