Oxford’s Legacy Center is one step closer to getting a liquor license, but not everyone is happy about it as evidenced by the township board’s narrow vote and some opposition from the audience at the Nov. 8 meeting.

“Would you want a bar in your backyard?” said Marianne Kainz, a resident of the Stony Lake Village condominium development near the Legacy Center.

“I’d prefer not to have it in my backyard . . . We just don’t see the need for a liquor license in a sports activity (facility) attended by young men and women.”

In a 4-3 vote, township officials passed a resolution approving the issuance of a new Class C liquor license for 925 Legacy Entertainment, LLC, a bar/restaurant located inside the Legacy Center, a 208,000-square-foot recreation center and community hub that’s owned by Christian Mills. It opened in 2015.

Voting in favor of the license were Supervisor Bill Dunn, Clerk Curtis Wright and trustees Jack Curtis and Margaret Payne.

Voting against it were Treasurer Joe Ferrari and trustees Patti Durr and Elgin Nichols.

The township’s approval is actually a recommendation that will be forwarded to the state Liquor Control Commission (LCC), which has the final say over whether or not the license is granted.

Class C licenses allow establishments to sell – at retail – beer, wine, mixed-spirits and spirits for consumption on the premises.

925 Legacy Entertainment, which is owned by Mills and Mike Linc, is a bar/restaurant with a bowling alley (both full-size and micro), an elevated go-kart track and an events/conference center.

The liquor license request was tabled at the township’s Oct. 11 meeting because officials had a number of questions and concerns. One of their main concerns was Mills’ plan to have a food truck parked inside the Legacy Center and use it as the kitchen for 925 Legacy Entertainment.

At the time, there were lots of unanswered questions regarding whether or not having an indoor food truck had been reviewed and approved, and safety issues such as ventilation.

An Oct. 23 memo from township Planner Matthew Lonnerstater, of the Ann Arbor-based Carlisle/Wortman Associates, clarified things for the board.

Lonnerstater explained the applicants previously submitted a building plan that “replaced the approved permanent kitchen with a mobile food truck.”

“At certain times, the applicants intended to remove the food truck from the building and drive it to off-site locations,” he wrote.

Based on the “mobile nature” of this food truck/kitchen, it was Lonnerstater’s interpretation that special land use approval would be necessary because removing the food truck from the building “at any time” would essentially transform the restaurant/bar into “solely a bar.”

The Legacy Center site is zoned C-2 general commercial and in that district, bars/lounges require special land use approval from the planning commission.

“A bar/lounge is defined as, ‘any restaurant that is operated primarily for the dispensing of alcoholic beverages, although the sale of prepared food or snacks may also be permitted,’” Lonnerstater wrote.

After relaying this to the applicants, Lonnerstater reported a revised building plan was submitted which shows the food truck still being used as the restaurant’s kitchen, however, it “will be permanently affixed to the ground and will not be able to be removed from the Legacy Center building.”

“Based on this change, it is my opinion that the restaurant/bar is permitted by right, and is in conformance with the previously-approved site plan for the Legacy Center,” Lonnerstater wrote.

The only public opposition to the liquor license came from Kainz, who said she was speaking on behalf of herself and some of her Stony Lake Village neighbors.

“This is a very unique situation,” she said. “The Legacy Center is a business, however, their backyard is our backyard. We’re within 500 feet of the building.”

Kainz said the Legacy Center was intended to be a place that provides sports and other activities for youth.

“We don’t feel that liquor should be served in an establishment (like) this,” she said. “There is really no need to have liquor being served.”

Kainz said she and her neighbors fear people will consume alcohol at the Legacy Center, then “be on our roads, driving through our subdivisions and on Lapeer Rd.”

“(That) isn’t something that we take lightly,” she said.

“We’re not opposed to them serving snacks,” Kainz told the board. “You can have a snack bar. You can serve cold beverages. You can serve hot beverages. But you don’t necessarily have to serve alcohol.”

She also questioned if the Legacy Center was going to have security personnel to monitor the site to ensure people’s safety and if alcohol was going to be served until 2 a.m. as it is at many other establishments with bars.

An operating plan submitted to the township as part of the liquor license application states 925 Legacy Entertainment will be open until 10 p.m. Monday through Thursday, until midnight on Friday and Saturday, and until 8 p.m. on Sunday.

As for proposed security, the operating plan states, “(The) manager will circulate the restaurant to ensure the safety of customers and employees” and “all wait staff and management” will be “trained for responsible service, sale and consumption of alcohol.”

“No customer will be over-served,” the plan states.