Iowa City bar may lose its exemption

IOWA CITY - Iowa City's largest bar may lose its exemption from the city's 21-only law just a month after it got it.

Police Chief Sam Hargadine says he is revoking the Union Bar's designation as an entertainment venue because too many of its underage patrons have received possession of alcohol citations.

A co-owner of the bar says it will appeal. It can remain open to 19- and 20-year-olds during an appeal.

The Union, located on the Pedestrian Mall downtown, was certified as an entertainment venue by the city in early March. As such, it became exempt, on show nights, from the city law that bans people younger than 21 from bars after 10 p.m.

The Union Bar has a capacity of 854 people, and before the 21-only law went into effect in 2010, it was one of the most popular nighttime hangouts for 19- and 20-year-olds.

In addition to hosting a certain number of shows and having equipment associated with live entertainment, part of the criteria for getting and keeping the exemption is to have a low rate of patrons cited for possession of alcohol under the legal age, or PAULA.

That number is 0.25 citations per police visit over the previous 12 months. When it got the entertain venue designation, the Union was just below that threshold. At the end of March, however, it had increased to 0.267.

'It's a fairly unforgiving number, but getting your exception is a privilege anyway,” Hargadine said.

Hargadine sent a letter dated April 3 on his decision to two of the bar's owners saying the exception would be revoked in 10 days. They have the same amount of time to appeal.

Bar co-owner George Wittgraf, who helped lead an unsuccessful challenge of the 21-only law last year, said Thursday the co-owners would appeal in the next few days.

He said they don't agree with Hargadine's decision but would not say for what reason. He said they'll keep doing 19-and-older shows during the appeal process.

City Attorney Eleanor Dilkes said the law allows establishments to continue to operate under the exemption during an appeal.

The appeal goes to the city manager, whose decision is final.