The Roxy Classic Theatre has received permission from Victoria council to serve liquor, but didnt quite get two thumbs up.

Only Coun. Shellie Gudgeon voted against the application, but said she only did so as she was confident that it had the support of the majority of council.

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Michael Sharpe, who owns the Quadra Street cinema, had argued that the ability to serve liquor would help independent, single-screen theatres like his to survive.

Gudgeon, a restaurateur, said that she voted against the application because she doesnt necessarily buy the argument that liquor service is the right way to turn around a troubled business.

Throwing alcohol at things is not the solution, Gudgeon said.

She said she was excited when she first heard about the proposal, but had concerns that the physical limitations of the building mean it has to be used as an adult-only venue when liquor is served.

The Roxy, which is operated by Vogue Amusements Ltd., is the first local theatre to apply for a liquor primary licence since the B.C. government in April relaxed provincial regulations banning alcohol from being served at venues that screen films.

Council heard from about 10 people who spoke at a public hearing two weeks ago, with more in favour than against. Some of the concerns raised included a lack of parking and intoxicated people spilling onto the street after shows.

After the hearing, councillors asked staff to bring forward a resolution in support of the application, but werent to make a final decision until they received written minutes of the hearing and all written submissions.

Coun. Ben Isitt, who lives in the neighbourhood, supported the application.

We heard overwhelmingly from the community that this was a supportable application, that they see the Roxy as a valuable neighbourhood institution and also [that] it has the potential to be a really valuable cultural institution for the whole city and even for the region, Isitt said.

Its a mid-sized venue with fixed seating that kind of fills a very important gap in the local music and arts and culture community.

Under the Roxys initial application, the maximum hours of liquor service would have been be from 5 p.m. to midnight on Sunday to Thursday, and 5 p.m. to 1 a.m. on Friday and Saturday. However, council recommended tightening up those hours to allow liquor service between 5 p.m. and 11 p.m., seven days a week. Sharpe agreed to the change.

Council will now forward its position on the liquor application to B.C.s Liquor Control and Licensing Branch, which will make the final decision. Local governments are consulted on issues such as noise and community impact.

There were no concerns about the application from police, bylaw enforcement or city engineering staff.

If the licence is granted, only adults would be allowed in the theatre when liquor is available. Anyone served alcohol would need a ticket to that event.

The Roxys capacity (lobby and auditorium) is 447 people.

bcleverley@timescolonist.com