New Philadelphia gets liquor license request from business its suing
NEW PHILADELPHIA (WJER) (March 26, 2024) – The city has received a liquor license request from a business owner that the city is suing.
Sarai Petroleum LLC, at the former site of the Fuel Depot on East High Avenue, submitted the request.
City Council will schedule a public hearing on the matter.
Law Director Marvin Fete last month filed a civil complaint against the company’s owner, seeking over $100,000 in fines for leaving fuel storage tanks on the site for years in violation of city code.
Fete said he had heard from the owner several times that he was going to reopen the business, which has been closed since 2017. Fete says nothing materialized, and he wasn’t going to allow someone to “jerk us around and ignore our ordinances.”
At a committee meeting Monday, Councilman Tom Simmelink said the lawsuit should be resolved before the liquor license is considered. Councilman Dan Lanzer clarified that at this point, Council’s job is to schedule a public hearing.
Council unanimously agreed to schedule the public hearing. The date for that will be announced soon.