Coquitlam council backs liquor licence application for indoor golf centre
You can take a shot and then you can take a shot.
That’s the idea from Scratch Indoor Golf and Academy, a Lougheed Highway business currently applying for a liquor licence despite objections from several neighbours.
Prior to Monday’s meeting, the city received 14 responses about the application, 13 of which raised concerns about noise, rowdiness, drunk driving, and neighbourhood character.
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“Townhouse living means that outdoor noise, music, voices, and vehicle traffic are all clearly audible within our homes,” one resident on behalf of a nearby townhouse complex. “Many of our residents – including shift workers, parents of young children, and elderly individuals – depend on a reasonably quiet neighbourhood in the late evening hours.”
Another resident wrote about seeing intoxicated people and feeling unsafe.
After consulting with Coquitlam RCMP, city staff found no noise complaints about the business nor public safety concerns from police regarding the liquor licence.
“No significant concerns have been identified through staff review of this application,” stated a city staff report.
After initially seeking to stay open past midnight, Scratch is now applying to close at 11 a.m. during the week and at midnight on Friday and Saturday evenings.
Coun. Steve Kim commended the business for altering their request based on reaction from the neighbourhood.
With a putting green and golf simulator machines, Scratch won’t just be about entertainment, Kim reasoned.
“People are going there to also work on their game,” he said.
While explaining he was sensitive to community feedback, Kim ultimately decided the application made sense in that location as part of a multi-tenant plaza on Lougheed.
While the final decision is made by the provincial Liquor and Cannabis Regulation Branch, city councils are asked to weigh in based on noise, traffic, and overall community impact.
The capacity for Scratch is 41 people including staff.
Mayor Richard Stewart did not attend the meeting.
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