By Khalida Sarwari
Three months after controversy erupted over a yet-to-be-opened tapas bar in downtown Saratoga, a group of concerned residents had a chance recently to sit down for a conversation with the bar owner.
Over the span of a two-hour meeting, more than two dozen residents participated in the discussion held at the site of the future Meza Bar on Big Basin Way. According to the bar’s owner, Ante Bilic, construction of the bar was scheduled to start at the beginning of September but was stalled due to the complications that arose in June.
At a June 19 neighborhood associations meeting, a group of incensed residents expressed concern about various operating aspects of the bar, some valid–regarding the bar’s hours of operation and its proximity to residential neighborhoods–and some misinformed, on whether the establishment would be “topless.”
Several people who live in the vicinity of the bar claim the potential late-night commotion of people and cars in the area would be disruptive to their children’s sleep.
Others question Bilic’s intentions for opening such an establishment close to an elementary school and “family-friendly” establishments. Some have concerns about safety and parking.
The Sept. 16 meeting was not only an opportunity for residents to share these concerns directly with Bilic, but it also gave Bilic, who was away on vacation at the time of the last meeting, a platform to inform the community about his plans.
“My intention is to bring something different to downtown, something new, something that you don’t have,” Bilic told the crowd of nearly 30 people that included Mayor Jill Hunter and council members Chuck Page and Howard Miller.
James Lindsay, Saratoga’s community development director, reminded the audience that despite their wishes to have the Meza Bar’s operating hours curtailed, any business in Saratoga is allowed to stay open until 1 a.m. without the city’s permission. Bilic said he requested a 2 a.m. closing time to give his business a competitive edge.
The Meza Bar’s closest competitor is The Bank, a bar at 14421 Big Basin Way, that Bilic’s friend, Ray Nasmeh, claims draws a younger crowd. Bilic says he envisions his bar as a place where people can go for drinks and dessert or appetizers after an event at the Mountain Winery.
Not everyone at the meeting was there to speak against the Meza Bar. Katherine Brockett, who lives behind The Bank, expressed her support for the bar.
“I am here to say that I, too, really, really love this city,” said. “I’ve lived here for 12 years, raised a boatload of kids. It’s not perfect, but you know, there are other things that make up for it. The reason I’m here is because I think a vibrant Saratoga is good for me and my family.”
By the end of the meeting, a number of residents said they want to see Bilic succeed, but also want the city to remain family-friendly.
Trudy Grable, who lives behind the Meza Bar, asked Bilic if he would be willing to compromise. “It’s the hours of operation on school nights we’re most concerned about. Is there some wiggle room in your hours?”
Aida Scott, a resident who lives nearby, suggested that Bilic compose a written plan that includes noise, safety and traffic impact to the community. “Outside of facts, you’re not going to come to a resolution,” she said. The idea was supported by Lindsay, who noted a detailed plan “sounds like a productive way of going through this process.”
Bilic said he was open to meeting with key neighborhood leaders to try and reach common ground.
Naima Hajian, another nearby resident who gave a presentation of the timeline of events at the meeting, said she and others are willing to negotiate on the Meza Bar’s hours of operation for serving food, but indicated that there’s little, if any, room for negotiation regarding how long the bar can serve alcohol. Those hours, according to the license Bilic applied for, are 8 a.m. to 11 p.m. on weekdays and 8 a.m. to midnight on weekends.
“The problem that is associated with this establishment is the noise that we would hear after hours,” she said. “The rowdiness of the crowd, the combination of drinking and late night. These are going to be problems.”
According to Stanley Yee, a licensing representative at the state Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control, an application for a restaurant license for the Meza Bar is pending review.
“We’re still waiting on several things,” Yee said. “We’re still waiting for them to complete the paperwork. There’s nothing that has been approved at this point.”
The case also has a “protest hold,” due to the letters of complaint the department has received from residents, Yee said. Bilic applied for the license on July 16 after initially applying for a bar or nightclub license earlier this year. He later withdrew that application, Yee said. It typically takes 45 to 60 days for the ABC to issue a license “if everything runs smoothly,” said Yee.
