Brewer bans alcohol at adult sites

BREWER – City officials banned on-site consumption of alcohol at all adult use entertainment establishments during a special meeting on Monday.

Only Councilor Larry Doughty questioned why it took a special meeting to deal with the issue.

“What exactly is the purpose of this amendment?” he said. “What’s behind it?”

Adult use entertainment is allowed in Brewer in the general business zone, which has alcohol restrictions, and the industrial zone, which did not have alcohol restrictions. The two zones allow different types of adult use entertainment. The general business zone allows adult bookstores and video stores. The industrial zone is allowed to have adult motion picture theaters and on-site adult video screening, adult entertainment nightclubs or adult spas.

City Solicitor Joel Dearborn said the amendment makes the alcohol restriction citywide.

“What this would do is close the loophole,” he said during the meeting.

The council voted 5-1 to approve the amendment, which reads, “There shall be no on-site consumption of alcohol in any adult use establishment.”

Doughty was the only councilor who voted against the action.

The call to action came to the forefront in Brewer because of recent events in Bangor to amend similar citywide alcohol bans, city officials said.

“They [adult use establishments] still can exist,” said Dearborn. “They just can’t have alcohol on site.”

The planning board and City Council passed an updated land use code in February, which established the definitions of adult use establishments and set up city restrictions on these types of businesses.

In other business during the special meeting, Brian Higgins, businessman, photographer and historian, was given a community service award for his “many contributions to the community.” Higgins is leaving the area for California, where he will teach computer science to blind and visually impaired veterans in the Palo Alto area.

OHI, formerly Opportunities Housing Inc., was also recognized for 25 years of service in the community. City Manager Steve Bost, who worked for OHI years ago, said he’s enjoyed watching OHI grow from a small nonprofit organization to one that now serves more than 400 children and adults with mental illness.