Commission hearing to decide fate of Main Street bar

Jeff Catherell, the owner of Cask and Ale, hoped to have the business’ Main Street location open in time for the Fourth of July weekend.

Instead, Catherell is uncertain whether the cocktail bar will be allowed to open at all. That question won’t be answered until Tuesday, when the City Commission is scheduled to decide whether the business will be permitted to use a 4COP liquor license at 1548 Main St.

City staff endorsed the project, and in May, the Planning Board voted unanimously to recommend approval of the proposal. Despite those assessments, the City Commission declined to approve the project without a public hearing following a 3-2 vote at a June 6 meeting.

“Because it has an impact on the livability for the residents and because there is another side where young professionals want to see a new taste in downtown, I think it's important enough for us to have a public hearing on the issue,” Vice Mayor Shelli Freeland Eddie said.

Potential nightlife venues in downtown Sarasota have been met with heavy skepticism — if not outright opposition — from some outspoken residents concerned about noise, crime and other potential impacts. In 2015, the Planning Board rejected plans for another bar, Paddy Wagon Irish Pub, at a neighboring Main Street property.

Catherell has tried to assure residents that his business will be a good fit for downtown, and agreed to a series of conditions tied to the potential approval of the liquor license. If Cask and Ale is allowed to go forward, it will be required to offer food sales during all hours of operation. The liquor license will not transfer to a new business if Cask and Ale leaves the location.

Those conditions didn’t entirely quell resident unease. As a result, it’s up to the City Commission to determine whether Cask and Ale is permitted to operate in its Main Street home.

The full agenda for Tuesday's meeting can be found on the city website.