Residents and Chelsea Police are celebrating the License Commission’s decision on Tuesday night to revoke the liquor and entertainment licenses at Las Palmas Restaurant and Lounge, 44 Central Ave., viewing it as a major win for neighborhood quality of life following a grueling four-hour hearing.
Commissioner Roy Avellaneda explained the Board’s reasoning: “There were a lot of factors in the Board’s decision on this, but overwhelmingly it was the concerns of residents, the years of complaints, the violence and fighting there, and the numbers of calls to the police.” He continued, “The Board rescinded the bar’s license to sell alcohol and have entertainment. They can continue to operate as a restaurant and we’ll see where that goes…They were issued a license for a restaurant and you can see that has completely changed over to a lounge. They’ve even changed the name from Palmas Restaurant to Palmas Lounge. We never issued a license for a lounge. They completely changed the use…What is there is not in the spirit of the original license.”
This action may prove to be just the beginning in addressing problem establishments throughout Chelsea. The License Commission will hold another public hearing next Tuesday, May 5, to examine violent incidents at Plaza Mexico, with the possibility of similar enforcement action.
The Las Palmas case stems from an April 3 incident involving a shooting and carjacking outside the establishment. According to police, Ruben Ortiz, of Dorchester, allegedly fired on a vehicle outside the lounge before carjacking a passing motorist on Central Avenue. The suspect allegedly forced the driver to the McArdle Bridge, where he allegedly discarded a firearm into the Creek before being apprehended.
Management’s response to police arrival proved particularly troubling. When officers arrived, the owners secured the metal grates and prevented both patrons from exiting and police from entering the premises.
A police statement noted: “A Chelsea officer testified that he could hear people screaming and yelling inside bar and was refused admittance to check on the wellbeing of persons inside. Only after a police supervisor arrived and told management that he would forcibly enter the establishment did the management let officers in to see if any other victims were inside and to begin the preliminary investigation. Officers also testified that management stated that the bars’ surveillance system was not working.”
This conduct weighed heavily on the Commission’s decision, according to Avellaneda. “Police couldn’t get in to interview witnesses; patrons were locked inside and couldn’t get out,” he stated. “That was a big thing for us.”
Violations were uncovered when the City’s Inspectional Services Department inspected the lounge on April 7, discovering multiple infractions including the sale of alcohol purchased in local liquor stores, a clear breach of the establishment’s liquor license terms.
Community support bolstered the case, with neighbors submitting a petition bearing several hundred signatures to the Commission.
Councillor Giovanni Recupero hailed the closure as vindication for residents, noting his three-year effort to revoke the license. “I’ve been pushing this for more than a year,” he remarked. “After all this time, they finally did it, after all the incidents they had. I didn’t want to give it to them when they came up to extend their parking last year, but they got it anyway. I’ve been calling for this a long time and I’m glad it finally happened.”
Police Chief Brian Kyes noted the department had documented 58 police responses to the location and commended residents for speaking out against the Dorchester-owned business. “All bars in the city should be on notice that the Chelsea Police Department is committed to ensuring all establishments follow the rules and regulations that govern their license,” he stated. “You will see increased inspections in the coming weeks and our officers will not hesitate to take action on any violations.”
Avellaneda characterized this victory as part of a broader pattern of quality-of-life successes, similar to last year’s King Arthur’s license revocation. “Being a bar or restaurant doesn’t automatically mean you’re a negative,” he explained. “People love going to Davis Square in Somerville because there are bars and music there. Those places don’t, however, become a drain on the community. There are plenty of places with liquor licenses that contribute positively to the community.”
The business retains a five-day appeal window from receiving the written city decision before the licenses are formally revoked.
The Plaza Mexico hearing is scheduled for 6 p.m. on May 5 at the Chelsea Pubic Library.