Council amends licensing decision for 1518 Washington: approves beer-only license with reduced hours and 150-capacity condition

The City of Racine Common Council on May 6 considered a contested liquor-license application for 1518 Washington Avenue (listed in the agenda as an LLC doing business as Dream Social Lounge / "a dream social lounge"). After multiple motions and amendments the council voted to alter the public-safety committee's prior denial and to approve a limited beer license with conditions.

The licensing item (agenda item 0209-25) had been before the public-safety and licensing committee multiple times. The applicant's new business-plan submission arrived to the clerk's office the day before the May 6 meeting; the council discussed whether to send the item back to committee for further negotiation but a motion to refer the item back failed on a roll-call vote (7 yes, 8 no).

Councilmember Pabon moved an amendment to the committee's denial that would approve, instead, a limited malt-beverage ("little B") license with two conditions: reduced hours (closing at midnight under the applicant's revised business plan) and denial of the larger full-liquor ("big B") license. That amendment was further amended on the floor to add a capacity cap. Alder Mack proposed a capacity limit; after a brief parliamentary sequence Mack withdrew and then offered an amended figure; the council ultimately approved a capacity limit of no more than 150 patrons as a condition of the license. The amendment to set capacity at 150 passed by roll call, 12 yes to 3 no. The main amendment (approve little-B license with hours limited to midnight and capacity limited to 150) then passed on the floor by the same margin (12 yes, 3 no).

The council debate included statements from neighbors and neighborhood representatives who said Uptown Racine is still recovering from past late-night venues and urged caution; some councilmembers said conditional approvals and closer follow-up are appropriate tools. Several council members said the committee could have negotiated concessions earlier but others said the full council was the correct venue to finalize conditions so the applicant could either proceed or receive a final determination.

The applicant, April Wright, addressed the council during public comment and explained an omission on an application that she described as unintentional, saying the underlying incident had been a misdemeanor and that she had since obtained her CCW and resolved the matter. Neighbors had also submitted petitions and spoken to concerns including parking and past late-night disturbances.

Because the council divided the question procedurally, it first approved the amendment converting the denial into a conditional approval (little B, midnight hours, capacity 150). The committee's recommendation to deny was not accepted by the full council. Council members asked the Public Safety and Licensing Committee to monitor compliance and to take enforcement action if conditions are violated. No immediate change to building permits or occupancy certificates was recorded; staff noted that maximum occupancy is also determined by building and fire inspections and that the license condition would be enforced as a licensing condition with occasional checks by police.

The meeting record shows multiple procedural votes: a motion to refer the item back to committee failed (7 yes, 8 no); the capacity amendment (set at 150) passed 12 yes to 3 no; the main amendment to approve a beer-only license with hours limited to midnight and capacity limited to 150 passed 12 yes to 3 no. The council then proceeded to separate disposition of the larger "big B" liquor-license portion as a technical roll-call step.

The council instructed staff to record the conditions in the license and to ensure the Public Safety and Licensing Committee monitors compliance during the license's initial period. The transcript does not include an executed final certificate or building-department change; the license conditions and city enforcement authority were the measures adopted by the council.