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Council orders 10 48 Jazz & Blues to close by midnight for 60 days after neighborhood complaints
Summary
Following repeated complaints from neighbors of loitering, noise and violence, the Montgomery City Council reviewed the license and operations of 10 48 Jazz & Blues at 1104 East Fairview and directed the owner to close by midnight for the next 60 days, with a council review at the end of that period.
The Montgomery City Council on Tuesday placed operational limits on 10 48 Jazz & Blues after extensive public comments describing repeated nuisance activity, assaults and public-safety concerns linked to the property at 1104 East Fairview Avenue.
The council directed the business to close by midnight for 60 days while the city monitors compliance and community conditions; the council said it will revisit the license and operations after that period.
Why it matters: Multiple residents and neighborhood leaders told the council they have experienced or witnessed late-night loitering, loud music, fights and at least one episode that callers described as gunfire near the business. Neighbors said the problem is concentrated in the parking lot and fenced area in front of the business and that police response times have been insufficient to deter recurring gatherings.
Owner Douglas Gurney, who told the council he has run the business for 35 years, disputed some claims about enforcement and described confusion over a prior demolition listing. Gurney said a city inspections employee told him the demolition listing had been removed and that he relied on that information to leave a previous meeting; he also described efforts to address cleanup and fencing. He said he had pulled building permits for renovations and that nuisance abatement work had been performed.
Residents and neighborhood representatives described repeated incidents. Scott Pierce, president of the Old Cloverdale Association, said the business “is dilapidated, [and] blighted,” and that volunteers have repeatedly picked up trash from the parking lot. Wilson Palmer, a longtime Cloverdale resident, told the council he heard five shots near 10 48 on June 19 and said he sees large, loud gatherings in the predawn hours. Derek Tanner, who said he was assaulted and robbed outside 10 48 on July 11 at about 3:30 a.m., told the council he asked staff to call police and said they refused.
The council characterized the item as a license review rather than an immediate revocation and discussed enforcement options. One council member said the business will be required to close at midnight while the council evaluates whether further action is necessary. The council asked the police department to check the property during the restricted hours if possible.
What’s next: The council set a 60-day compliance period. Staff, public-safety officials and neighborhood representatives will monitor the business; the council will review the license and operations after the 60-day period and may take further action if problems continue.
