Marine on St. Croix City Council clamps down on the party at the town’s only bar

The party has dimmed for now at Brookside Bar and Grill in Marine on St. Croix, where the owners on Friday canceled the weekend’s live music after the City Council tightened rules on the village’s only bar.

Brookside, a longtime fixture in the river town of 700 residents, can’t serve alcohol or allow it to be consumed in a grassy area out back after the council amended the bar’s liquor license.

The move has set off a public tiff over rules, tourism, crowds, public safety and support for local businesses.

“The Brookside has been a very good neighbor, and we appreciate the business they bring to the village,” said Robyn Dochterman, who owns St. Croix Chocolate Co. next door to the bar. “I wish the City Council had been more forthcoming with what they were trying to achieve with this change. … It feels like overreach to a lot of townspeople.”

Brookside’s owners were not available for comment on Friday.

At Thursday’s City Council meeting, Council Member Charlie Anderson said the city was forced to act after learning that the bar’s liquor license didn’t include a legal description of its premises, a requirement set by state statute.

Anderson said that was also the opinion of the city clerk and city attorney.

His proposal to amend the license to include a legal description passed on a 4-1 vote, with Mayor Kevin Nyenhuis dissenting. The license was amended to include the first floor of the bar and restaurant, the backyard patio, deck and firepit area — with no mention of the green space outside where patrons have gathered in the past.

The council urged Brookside’s owners to apply for a conditional use permit. Anderson said the permit is necessary because the bar has expanded its business with new seating, tables and umbrellas on the grassy area behind the bar. Anderson cited statements and emails suggesting Brookside sold alcohol or allowed it to be consumed on the grass.

Brookside’s attorney, Daniel Christians, argued that it wasn’t necessary to amend the liquor license. He said the bar had simply provided seating for patrons who otherwise would have had to stand.

“The reality is that they are providing a convenience for patrons who are already present,” he said.

The Brookside suggested two alternate proposals: Cap the number of chairs it sets out, or require the bar to apply for an event permit from the city when it wants to serve patrons seated on the grass.

Brookside co-owner Ross Higgins said at Thursday’s meeting that the City Council’s decision is a serious threat to his business.

“I think anything short of continued ability to use that area in some shape or form, materially similar to how we’re using it today, breaks with years of tradition under many prior owners and jeopardizes our ability to continue providing live music to the community and calls into question the viability of this establishment as a year-round restaurant in Marine,” Higgins said.

Council members urged the bar to apply for a conditional use permit since the application process involves a public forum and a chance for locals to weigh in.

“That’s how I believe we should move forward,” said Council Member Lon Pardun.

Council Member Bill Miller said Brookside has been successful in part because the city has supported it with dumpsters and a city-owned parking lot behind the bar. The bar’s success has been good for business, Miller said, but he said he was also wary of the weekend crowds. The extra people “overwhelm downtown,” he said, and local residents don’t go to town on weekends because there’s no parking.

Council Member Wendy Ward voted for the liquor license amendment, but she said Brookside is a “beloved, successful, needed” business in town. “We are thankful for that,” she said.

The council’s decision was widely criticized on social media, where followers of the Marine on St. Croix Fan, Supporter & Booster Group weighed in. “The timing is cruel,” said Anne E. Moore, citing summer business at the bar.

“To pull the rug out on them in midseason is just wrong,” added Chris Ness.