Residents say downtown event space at 219 S. Washington creates late-night safety and code concerns

Matt Haslam and his husband told the Wilkes-Barre City Council on Feb. 11 that a business operating at 219 South Washington Street has created repeated late-night disturbances and public-safety risks for nearby residents.

The couple said the venue, advertised online as the “downtown art and event space” and rented for parties, appears to be subletting operations to a separate promoter, Vision to Reality Party and Event Planning. Matt Haslam said the promoter, identified in the meeting as Latoya Jones of Scranton, runs parties that often continue until 2:30 a.m. or 3 a.m., with loud music, large crowds in the shared alley, fights and arrests, and what he described as evidence of drug use and underage drinking.

“My husband and I have spent thousands to remediate infestations and spent virtually every weekend calling police,” Haslam said. He said online videos the couple found show a DJ, a stripper pole and a full bar, and that the room’s lawful fire-code capacity (which was described in the meeting as about 100 people) is being exceeded. “We have security and arrests, but the danger is escalating,” Haslam said.

Councilman Tony Brooks thanked the couple for bringing the matter to the council and said the administration and zoning office would look into the licensing and compliance issues raised by the speakers. “I hope the administration will look into the zoning rules and regulations and see what we can do to accomplish this and bring peace and quiet to your neighborhood,” Brooks said.

The speakers named two business operators in their remarks: Ashley Rushing, described as the tenant and local manager of the property, and Latoya Jones, described as the promoter using the venue under the trade name Vision to Reality. The speakers asked the city’s zoning office to consider revoking the venue’s permit or issuing a cease-and-desist to the promoter if zoning or fire-code violations are confirmed.

Haslam said he and his husband had shown police and city staff video evidence and that recent weekends included arrests connected to activity at the venue. He also said the promoter advertises raffles and events that, in the couple’s view, may require additional licensing from state authorities.

Several regulatory agencies were referenced during the public remarks: the city zoning office, the Pennsylvania Department of Revenue (for small games-of-chance licensing), and the Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board (for alcohol licensing). Council members asked administration staff to follow up with zoning enforcement and with police to determine whether the venue’s use matches its zoning approval and whether state licenses are being violated.

The council did not make a formal determination during the meeting. Council members said residents should continue to report incidents to police and to the zoning office so staff can build a formal record to support enforcement actions if needed.

Votes at a glance

• Approval of minutes — motion to approve minutes moved by Councilman Barrett, seconded by Councilman Belishko; roll-call indicated unanimous affirmative votes recorded for the council members present. (See actions[] for full vote record.)

What’s next

Council members asked the administration to review zoning approvals for 219 S. Washington, verify applicable fire- and occupancy-permit limits, and coordinate with police and, if necessary, state licensing authorities. Residents said they expect zoning enforcement and police follow-up; the complaintants indicated they will continue to provide video and other evidence to staff.