The Prince George's County Board of License Commissioners this week approved the transfer of the liquor license of the now-closed Rio Bar and Grille to the owner of two sports bars in Maryland who wants to open a similar operation in Laurel.

The July 28 decision was condemned by local residents, police and elected officials, who worry that the bar will lead to the same sort of violence and criminal behavior that has characterized previous businesses at the site, located at Route 1 and Contee Road.

The approval came with the same restrictions that the board approved in 2007 for Rio to operate under, including mandatory closing at 11:30 p.m., no patrons on the building's deck and no dancing.

"I see no circumstances for the restrictions to be lessened," said Franklin Jackson, chairman of the commission, at the July 28 hearing. "Within six months, we will have a hearing with regard to the progress and if there are concerns by the community."

But even with the conditions in place and a review hearing set for January 2010, opponents of the license transfer were not pleased. They wanted to see a family-friendly restaurant at the site, which once housed the go-go dance clubs Dinosaur and Club Amazon, where shootings and other violent incidents occurred.

"The public can't trust this and the public is tired of this," said County Council member Thomas Dernoga, of Laurel.

The owners of Club Amazon infuriated local residents nearly two years ago when they revealed plans to turn the venue into a strip club. The club closed in June 2006, at which time its liquor license was transferred to Rio's owner, Sung Lee.

Lee promised to focus primarily on the restaurant, but when he took on partners, they scaled down the menu and ran the venue as a sports bar with music. It closed in May 2008, and the partners are settling their disputes with each other in the courts.

The liquor board decision transfers the license to Tak Yoon, who owns the Galaxy Sports Bar in Silver Spring and Rio Bravo in Langley Park.

In testimony at this week's hearing on the issue, residents and local officials said the last thing they wanted to see at the site was another operation that had the potential of attracting the often rowdy clientele from the former establishments -- including Rio.

"I feel the board didn't listen to the community and it's upsetting to me that the license will be given to someone who wants to open a club here," said Maria Agres, a resident of nearby Montpelier and coordinator of the Coalition for Laurel Area Safety and Prosperity.

Jackson defended the board's decision by saying, "A boarded-up building doesn't do the community any good."

Moe not happy

Prior to the July 28 hearing on the license transfer, residents, state and county elected officials, and Mayor Craig Moe sent letters to the liquor board, voicing their opposition to the transfer of the license to Yoon unless a long list of restrictions were placed on the operation.

Moe, who called for a family-friendly, sit-down restaurant at the site in his letter to the board, said in a separate interview, "Everybody wants to make sure whatever is in the community benefits residents and I don't think this (Yoon's proposal) is it."

Liquor board commissioner Earl Howard, who cast the only dissenting vote on the license transfer, sided with opponents who did not feel the restrictions went far enough.

"I'm concerned that he will turn it into another club," Howard said of owner Yoon. "We've been down this road before. This is supposed to be a restaurant and not a club."

Yoon had requested that he be allowed to keep the establishment open until 2 a.m., among other requests. Yoon's attorney, Tae Kim, said they sought the late hours because they would get the business of late diners.

"Mr. Yoon will abide by the restrictions for the transfer," said Kim. "He has no intention to bring in go-go bands to make quick money as others have done because he has enough money to cover any loses of the first six to 18 months of operations."

But police officials testified that safety should be the priority not profits. "Our concern is the taxing of our resources and the affect on the community," said Capt. Robert Gibson, acting commander of the Beltsville police station. "This is not a new business model but similar to what was there before, where they had shootings, fights, thefts, stolen vehicles and intoxication. "

'A good track record'

Although Commissioner Armando Camacho of Laurel pointed out that there have been incidents at Yoon's sports bar in Langley Park, that did not sway him and other members from being willing to give Yoon a chance in Laurel.

"I understand the place has bad memories, but we can't penalize him (Yoon) for something he hasn't done and he has a good track record in the county," Commissioner Shaihi Mwalimu said.

Council member Dernoga, who strongly opposed the license transfer, called the whole process an "insult" to the public and public officials.

Agres said the community will monitor what Yoon does at the site, but she is not optimistic that the outcome will be any different than in the past.

"I've visited Yoon's place in Silver Spring and it's nice, but his Langley Park business was scary with drunks, loud bands, people having to be frisked and questionable activities going on in the parking lot," Agres said.

"I feel the board was not here for the community on this. We spoke out, officials and the police and still they sided with the business. We'll just have to watch it."

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