The city of St. John’s says it was the Newfoundland and Labrador Liquor Corporation that ordered the closure of The Dockyard, the outdoor portion of The Salt House Restaurant, in downtown St. John’s.
Owner Vic Lawlor raised questions over the weekend about the closure, saying the city shut down the operation because it’s within 150 meters of Cathedral street, a residential area. Lawlor disputes this saying the restaurant is actually 224 meters from the nearest house on the street.
Councilor Maggie Burton says while there currently is communication with the city and Lawlor about an occupancy certificate for the area, which she notes is not a license to operate, it was the NLC and not the city who ordered the closure over the weekend.
Burton says the City has a responsibility to residents and property owners to ensure they follow the law.
She says the alternative, where people decide to operate businesses and use space in a way that is not done with proper public input or good regulatory practice, would lead to a lot more public complaints and potentially unsafe situations.
Burton says they want to keep communication open with Lawlor about the issue. He is encouraged to stay in touch with city officials to resolve the regulatory issues at hand.