Dec. 2 Akron City Council meeting
Covered by Documenters Stacie Simon (see her notes here) and Wittman Sullivan (see his notes here)
To help counter some recent complaints, the co-owner of a new East Akron bar and restaurant nervously addressed City Council during its Dec. 2 meeting. At least one council member spoke out in support of the establishment.
“I’m a little nervous here, sorry about that,” Demardre Sammons said as he spoke from the lectern during the meeting’s public comment period. “I’ve never talked in front of a lot of people before… heart pounding.”
Council President Margo Sommerville helped him focus by asking for his name and address.
New East Akron bar replaces former establishment
Uncle Mike’s Lounge opened on Oct. 25 at 561 Seiberling St. at the intersection of Merrill Avenue. Multiple complaints about noise, parking, gunshots and fights have been filed with Akron Police since then.
Sammons expressed frustration at the number of 911 calls and said he felt harassed — he speculated about why nearby residents may have objections.
“I kind of feel like we’re being harassed a little bit because we’ve got an urban crowd in a non-urban area and it doesn’t really mix,” he told council. He said that neighbors may not be used to the crowds the bar attracts, despite the presence of other bars at the same location in the past.
Complaints allege noise, parking, fighting
An APD public records request by Signal Akron shows 13 calls to 911 about Uncle Mike’s since Oct. 26 from a mix of both named and anonymous callers. Officers investigated each incident (including a report of gunshots on Nov. 24); police filed no reports in response to the calls. Officers reported conversations with co-owners regarding crowd sizes inside and outside the bar and emphasizing the importance of enforcing occupancy limits in the building.
“This is my first time owning a bar, it’s all kind of new to me. We have been getting a lot of complaints about loud music … really a lot of stuff that’s not true … loud music, fights, gun shots,” Sammons said. He heard gunshots outside the bar once, he said, but noted that police didn’t find any shell casings the next day.
A Cleveland 19 News story shares two neighbors’ concerns about parking, noise, safety and crowds at the new bar. The news story also featured Ring camera footage from Nov. 24 that included the sound of apparent gunshots nearby.
East Akron bar owners add security
In the three weeks after it opened, the owners of Uncle Mike’s Lounge increased private security inside the building to five officers and hired two off-duty APD officers to be on-site Thursday through Saturday nights. The city has also installed No Parking signs on Merrill Avenue in response to concerns about blocked driveways.
Uncle Mike’s Lounge occupies an East Akron building with a long history as a bar. Most recently, the building housed Hill’s Bar and Grill, which hosted Hell’s Angels events, according to the previous bar’s social media.
“We’re doing everything in our power to try to do the right thing,” Sammons said. In hopes of reducing neighborhood tensions and conflict, he reached out to Ward 10 Council Member Sharon Connor and scheduled a meeting.
At-large Council Member Eric Garrett thanked Sammons and his team for their efforts and said they have the support of several council members.
“I applaud the fact that these folks are putting together a business plan and they’re implementing their business plan,” he told Sammons at the meeting. “You’re going to have haters; I just need you to continue to focus on what you’re doing.”
Read Documenter Stacie Simons’ notes here:
Read Documenter Wittman Sullivan’s notes here:
https://twitter.com/WittmanSullivan/status/1863914276211089420
