Detours will be allowed to reopen its doors as soon as repairs are completed, as a result of action taken by the Carbondale Local Liquor Control Commission.

The commission voted 3-1 to renew the bar’s liquor license Tuesday, breaking a 2-2 deadlock the commission ended in at a special meeting June 30.

The deadlock was created by the absence of Commissioner Maggie Flanagan, who is not expected to return until late July or early August.

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Commissioners Michael Neill and Richard Morris voted to deny the bar a liquor license at the special meeting, with commissioners John Yow and Neil Dillard voting to renew the license.

Neil cited Building and Neighborhood Services reports regarding the condition of the building as the primary reason for voting against renewal.

The routine inspection by the city agency revealed structural and other violations, including a leaky roof, soiled carpeting and damp walls.

Yow said Charles Arokiasamy, spokesman for Detours, told the commission work to remediate the violations would be completed by sometime next week.

Neill changed his position at the meeting Tuesday, however, because he was concerned about the fairness of delaying a decision until August.

What I did not think was fair was making them wait until August just for a decision, he said. They have a lot of money tied up in this, and the delay would result in a drop in revenue, putting them in worse shape.

What I preferred was to let them operate until August, when we had all five people on the commission, but there is no provision for that in the liquor codes.

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Morris disagreed with this reasoning, saying the public’s health, safety and welfare were in question.

The violations that they had were in my mind blatant violations, he said. I voted no because

see DETOURS, page 5