Delete WardFeb 25, 2021
Councilman Mike Polensek is celebrating a victory in quashing a liquor license renewal at a notorious gas station in his ward.
While acknowledging Gas USA on the corner of St. Clair Ave. and E. 123rd St. can appeal the state order, Councilman Polensek said he will fight that rigorously in Columbus.
“This establishment has been a major source of violence in the Glenville neighborhood,” Councilman Polensek said. “When I hear elderly women tell me they are afraid to walk down the street because of the characters hanging at this establishment, my response is this is totally unacceptable and outrageous.
“And the owners and operators of this business would never tolerate this type of behavior in the suburbs where they live. We refuse to accept it in the Glenville neighborhood.”
The councilman who represents Ward 8 testified at the Liquor Control hearing on the matter and told the hearing officer that he had received more complaints from this site than any other liquor license holder in his ward. Councilman Polensek said he wants to thank Councilman Anthony Hairston, whose Ward 10 is adjacent, for also testifying at the hearing.
“In support of these complaints from January of 2019 through December of 2020 there were 23 Cleveland Police Department incidents reports for the Gas location. These included 7 felonious assaults, 8 assaults, a homicide on July 6, 2020, 3 menacing, 1 ethnic intimidation, 2 carrying a concealed weapon, and another homicide on November 4,2020. Also, on December 20, 2020, two customers were shot near the gas pumps,” the decision by the state noted.
The commission decision said local neighbors, including a letter from one, “revealed consistent loitering, panhandling, drug transactions in the parking lot, and shots fired at night.”
Finally, an officer with the Cleveland Vice Squad also testified at the hearing and noted the numerous problems at the site. And the liquor commission, in its letter denying the renewal, reported that from “January of 2020 through December of 2020 there were 72 calls for police services to the Gas location. These included the following: shots fired, felonious assaults, assaults, persons threatening with a weapon, loud noise, public intoxication, disturbances, drug overdoses, robberies, and fights.
“The remaining 135 calls for service were directed to the East 123rd Street and St. Clair intersection. These included the following: shots fired, intoxicated persons, a pedestrian struck, parking violations, felonious assaults, drug overdoses, motor vehicle theft, persons threatening with a weapon, assaults, robberies, and fights.”
The commission letter also noted that the location has had past violations.
“The renewal of this permit would burden police resources and substantially interfere with the public decency, sobriety, peace, or good order in this neighborhood,” the denial noted.