Lounge owner to fight decision
Published 12:00 am Thursday, October 17, 2002
George Sturdivant Jr., who owns a lounge in Selma, has been denied renewal of a liquor license by the city because of complaints by neighbors.
Sturdivant says he is not to blame.
Sturdivant, who owns the Postman Lounge on 1400 Marie Foster St., was denied the renewal of a liquor license by the City of Selma at the recommendation of Selma Police Chief Robert Green.
Selma City Attorney Jimmy Nunn, who presented Green’s recommendation during a Selma City Council meeting, said that Green asked that the license not be renewed because residents in the area complain about loud music coming from the business, and that there is a lot of criminal activity near the business.
Sturdivant doesn’t cause the noise, he says.
He calls the allegations of criminal activity at his business &uot;flat out lies.&uot;
Sturdivant said the noise is not coming from the parking lot of his business.
He said the noise is coming from a parking lot at a laundromat across the street.
Sturdivant’s business relies heavily on liquor sales and is in danger of closing if the license is not renewed, he said.
Sturdivant says he is&uot;not about to give up.&uot;
He will go through the appeals process first to renew his liquor license, and if that doesn’t work, he will sue the City of Selma.
The reason for the possible lawsuit, said Sturdivant, is that the council was presented with the problem of residents complaining about the business in July, and that the decision not to renew the license was made in October.
Sturdivant said that not &uot;knowing the outcome of what would happen concerning this issue&uot; he missed his renewal date.
Sturdivant said that his business, which opens five days a week, usually averages over 100 people a night, &uot;a significant source of tax revenue for the city.&uot;
Sturdivant said if his license was renewed, he would continue to call the Selma Police Department, and that people who were &uot;tailgating&uot; in the parking lot across the street would be &uot;forever barred&uot; from his club.