Bar and church to coexist

SARASOTA - After a bit of a battle over a law that dictates how close a bar and church can be, Alex Amaro has the go-ahead to start work on a proposed live-music lounge on lower Main Street.

The City Commission on Monday gave its unanimous approval for the Five Points Lounge, which had been rejected by city staff because it violates a long-standing city rule that prohibits putting a bar within 500 feet of a school, home or church.

The lounge is about 300 feet from First United Methodist Church on Pineapple Street. The church wrote a letter in support of the lounge.

That letter in part convinced the planning board to disagree with city planners and grant an adjustment allowing the lounge. The City Commission's vote affirms that decision.

"That is an old law. It was made in an era when no one wanted a bar next to a church in suburbia," said Planner Pam Truitt, representing Amaro.

"It was not for a downtown area."

Amaro's lounge will take the place of the old Grape Lounge, which closed last year.

Now that a three-month battle has ended, Amaro said he hopes to open the bars' doors early next year.

Amaro, who owns Sangria Tapas Bar, said he came up with the idea for a live-music lounge after patrons at the Main Street restaurant asked about places they could go after dinner to hear live music.

Amaro says he is planning live blues and jazz on weeknights, techno dance music on Fridays, Latin music on Saturdays and a comedy show on Sundays.

He said he wants it to be a classy place, but drink prices will be reasonable.