Peoria restaurant's request for late-night liquor license hinges on neighborhood feedback

The fate of Hacienda el Mirador's request to extend its liquor license until 2 a.m. will likely depend on whether or not it receives support from a local neighborhood association.

City councilman Denis Cyr, whose 5th District is home to Hacienda el Mirador, said he deferred the decision about extending the liquor license at Tuesday's city council meeting so he could get feedback from the nearby neighborhood associations.

This was the second time the council voted to defer a decision on Hacienda el Mirador.

Cyr said his stance on the matter will likely hinge on what the neighborhood associations say about the liquor license extension.

Hacienda el Mirador , which is located at Junction City off of N. Knoxville Avenue, has asked the city to grant it a 2 a.m. liquor license Thursday through Saturday. Their current liquor license allows them to serve alcohol until 1 a.m.

More: Big Al's in Peoria stripped of liquor license, will be closed until new owner in place

While their request for a 2 a.m. liquor license will seemingly hinge on neighborhood support, the Peoria Liquor Commission voted to deny their request in July in a 3-0 vote, citing concerns over how noise would impact nearby residents.

Hacienda el Mirador's owner Julia Salvatierra told the liquor commission they planned on hosting a once-a-month dance night at their restaurant that would go until 2 a.m, including a DJ or live music. That was the primary reason they wanted to liquor license extension.

Rick Linthicum, the Peoria Police Department's liquor investigator, told the commission that the police department had concerns with the liquor license extension because of the impact of noise on nearby residents. City assistant attorney Masum Perkins agreed with the police department concerns over noise.

However, the concerns from the police department and city legal department also came with an understanding that there was another bar at Junction City that operated with a 2 a.m. license. There were no concerns with that site because it was further away from residential areas.

Carol Long, a nearby resident and former president of the North Prospect Neighorhood Association, told the liquor commission that said they had been unaware that Hacienda el Mirador had been having late night parties. She said as long as the parties remained indoors they would not have any issues.

More: After contentious debate, Downtown Peoria restaurant denied liquor license for new space

On June 16, the Peoria Police Department caught Hacienda el Mirador serving alcohol past its 1 a.m. closing time. Police gave a verbal warning to the restaurant and informed them that any other infractions would result in fines.

Salvatierra told the liquor commission a private birthday party had been held at the restaurant that night and it was not open to the public. She also lamented that they served alcohol past 1 a.m.

This article originally appeared on Journal Star: Peoria restaurant's request for late-night liquor license hinges on neighborhood feedback