Beer Board gives no reason for denying the Platinum Lounge's permit application
by Joe Tarr
Baffin Harper Sr. is having a hard time figuring out what it takes to get a beer permit in this city. Wanting to open an Old City nightclub that would cater to urban, hip-hop, and jazz music tastes, Harper suspects the color of your skin might be one criterion.
Tuesday night, the city Beer Board approved a permit for the Big Orange Sports Bar on Montvue. The club had let its permit lapse and one of the owners, Bryan Moyers (who is white), has a simple assault charge pending.
The board also approved a permit for the Orange and White Sports Bar on Clinton Highway. The owner, Patrick McAbee, had a number of minor charges on his records, including one for possession of drugs last August. McAbee (who is white) had failed to tell the board this on his permit application.
With that kind of leniency, Baffin Harper and his daughter-in-law, Tamelyn Harper, figured they had a decent chance of getting a permit for their club, the Platinum Lounge, which they want to open at 210 Jackson Ave. in the Old City. The Harpers are black. There is nothing on either of their records in the past 10 years, the time period the board is supposed to look at.
After being grilled by Councilwoman Jean Teague as to why Baffin Jr.—Tamelyn's husband—isn't on the permit application, the board voted 5 to 4 to reject the Harpers' permit. No explanation was given.
Voting against the permit were councilmembers Teague, Larry Cox, Ivan Harmon, Jack Sharp, and Gary Underwood.
"They issued two before us who had charges in the last 10 years, and we didn't have any of that," a shocked Baffin Sr. said. "Something's behind this thing that I don't know about. Why are they depriving us of opening up? They're not giving us any legitimate reasons. Is the color of your skin behind it all? You don't want to think that."
"I can't figure it out, especially without explanation," says Councilwoman Carlene Malone, who voted in favor of the permit. Charles Swanson, the beer board's lawyer, could not be reached for comment about whether the board is required to state why it denies permits. Both Underwood and Teague refused to say why they voted no, saying the matter is probably headed to court.
The Harpers' permit was postponed a month ago, after several Old City merchants (lead by Barley's Taproom owner Doug Beatty) asked the board to deny the permit. The original objection was that they suspected the club would play gangsta rap, which merchants feared would lead to violence, drugs, and bad publicity. After meeting with the Harpers, Beatty withdrew his objections.
However, since that meeting, he wrote a letter to Metro Pulse claiming there are serious questions regarding the Harpers. Beatty claimed that the family has been doing work on the building without a building permit. Beatty says he talked with the building's owner, who told him the Harpers had purported to be opening a "Christian deli," not a nightclub. (The building's owner, John Alsup, is on vacation and could not be reached for comment. Harper says he didn't talk specifically about alcohol to the owner, but showed him building plans that included a bar, and was upfront about what type of music would be played. "I don't know what the owner thought. We mentioned we might be playing Christian music on Sundays.")
None of these issues were brought up at the meeting, and thus the Harpers were given no opportunity to defend themselves.
Beatty also denied any racial or social prejudice, pointing out that the merchants had refused to support Harold McKinney, who is white, in his bid to retain a beer permit at the Underground. It's about trying to get responsible businesses that will strengthen the Old City, he says. "I can assure you that this is not about race. Or even about music," Beatty wrote. "We have businesses owned by women, African-Americans, Asian Americans, and gays. I can't think of anywhere else in Knoxville with that kind of diversity on display in such a small area."
Baffin Harper Sr., who also runs a landscaping business, say he will consult a lawyer, because he's signed a five-year lease on the building. "There's nothing on our record that they should be denying our permit."
An occasional series of Knoxville vignettes
Time: 5:30
Date: Wednesday
Gay Street, near the corner of Union
Two women of indeterminate age are waiting for the bus, holding large bags and looking up with some awe at the circa 1905 Miller's Building, recently renovated after it was covered by modernist mirrored siding for 25 years.
"Ain't it pretty?" says the older one.
"Yes, it is."
"That's all new, did you know that?"
"No, I didn't."
"Oh, I like it. I like the way they're building them these days. They're building them the old-fashioned way."
March 23, 2000 * Vol. 10, No. 12
© 2000 Metro Pulse
| 
