Abilene Citizen Has Started a Petition to Close a Local Bar
It seems at least one Abilene citizen has had enough of a bar in her neighborhood. So much so, that she started an online petition to have that bar closed down or relocated.
According to the petition, Tracy Morgan feels that "nightclubs should be on the outskirts of a town or in a business area such as downtown".
She is correct that bars (or nightclubs) do belong in an area zoned for them, like a business area. As a matter of fact, the Abilene City Council and Planning and Zoning Committees tackle subjects like that on a daily basis.
So, by law, the bar is legally running its business based on zoning requirements.
What bar does she want to be closed or relocated?
Miss Morgan is specifically talking about Spanky P's at 2442 South 7th.
The entire petition description reads as such:
I retired in Abilene Tx and bought a beautiful home. Two blocks from my home the city has allowed several businesses to open on this one section of road to include a club. This area for the most part is residential. Nightclubs should be on the outskirts of a town or in a business area such as downtown. The traffic on our street is ridiculous and all day and night it's loud vehicles racing up and down our street. Last night there was a murder at this bar. My petition is to request the city of Abilene, Texas, to close this nightclub, Spanky P's, or have them relocate. [Tracy Morgan/Change.org]
The "murder" Morgan is referring to happened in the early hours of this last Saturday morning, according to the Abilene Police Department. The shooting took place near the bar in question, but no confirmation has been made that it happened AT the bar.
However, due to that shooting and "ridiculous traffic" on her street, Morgan now wants the Abilene City Council to close the bar or have it relocated. While state and local governments have the ability to close or restrict a business, it's not likely to happen in this instance.
Besides, forcing a bar to move to the outskirts of town is so "Footloose"-ish it's hysterical. Also, I travel that street often and those "loud vehicles racing up and down" the street are mostly neighborhood kids showing off their cool cars.
Not saying it's right, just trying to add a little perspective to this story.
I'm not condoning violence, street racing, or anything else listed in the petition, merely pointing out that it's not a worthy cause due to so many factors. The primary factor is that the 10+ businesses, on that block alone, have been there for years, many of them for decades. They truly have followed the proper procedures for establishing their business in that exact location.
At the time of writing this article, there have been 4 signatures on Morgan's petition.
Strictly my opinion, but I feel petitions like these hinder the progress of those with actual substance. Personally, I love Spanky P's and the other businesses in that area.