Carrie Lee’s Restaurant hopes to be back before the Orion Township Board of Trustees for a third time, this time with a completely new take on their liquor license application.
Carrie Lee’s attorney John Lucas was before the trustees once again at their Nov. 2 meeting, asking the board to reconsider their previous decision, which came after yet another decision, not to grant Carrie Lee’s a liquor license application.
“What Carrie Lee’s really wants is a tavern license for beer and wine,” he said. “And the bar area that was originally included in the expansion area has now been removed, so there is only seating.”
Lucas said the restaurant is a family one and the owner planned to keep it that way after she expands into the nearby ice cream shop on Baldwin Road.
“We intend to keep it that way with the hours,” he said, reflecting board member Will Wilsher’s previous concerns that a liquor license might change the family atmosphere and operating hours at the restaurant.
“It sounds like you have made a substantial change in the original plan,” said supervisor Jerry Dywasuk. “It might be possible to hear this at the Nov. 17 meeting.”
Lucas believed the board could make a motion on Nov. 2 to hear the request if it wished.
“A tavern license application counts as a new issue, not a reconsideration,” said township attorney Kristin Bricker Kolb. “It would have to be raised at another board meeting.”