CINCINNATI — After a late-night street takeover earlier this month resulted in Clifton residents and business owners demanding the city take action, local officials are now looking into changing ordinances regarding how late businesses can be open.
Several people were seen on surveillance footage blocking traffic, partying in the street and fighting on Ludlow Avenue July 6. A Cincinnati Fire Department truck reportedly couldn't exit the fire station.
Video shows officers chasing at least one person and catching up to them. Over the scanners, we also heard officers reporting that they used a taser to control the crowd and deployed pepper balls.
"Clifton has always been a very welcoming, very safe neighborhood," said Mike Anagnostou, owner of Ludlow Wines and president of the Clifton Business Association. "It really does harm to the businesses here."
WATCH: What local officials say is being done after the street takeover in Clifton
During an emergency meeting hosted by the Clifton Community Council on Thursday, residents and owners expressed their frustrations with the Bohemian Hookah Cafe, the source of some of the activity on July 6. They spoke about how they documented the following things happening after bar close: Fighting in the street, people selling alcohol out of cars, property damage, littering, disorderly conduct, loud music, parties that last until 5 a.m. and people brandishing firearms.
"I have employees expressing a fear in working closing shift," said Clifton business owner Micah Ovadia.
"We do end up feeling there's no hope," said Jan Brown Checco, a Clifton resident.
WCPO 9 News listened to the emergency meeting to hear directly from residents and business owners about their safety concerns and what solutions they're seeking from city officials.
Officer Shawn Dent with Cincinnati police confirmed during the meeting that officers arrested 11 people, not eight as originally reported to business owners in the area. One of the people arrested is accused of assaulting a CPD officer. Those who attended the meeting wanted to know if the City of Cincinnati was planning on filing a nuisance lawsuit against the owners of Bohemian Hookah Cafe.
"The endangerment of the public health, safety and welfare is a critical of any public nuisance claim but it's only one element," said Mark Manning with the City of Cincinnati's law department. "Let's look at the video, let's talk to the witnesses, let's get to the bottom of it."
Manning said they wouldn't be able to tell people if they plan on filing a lawsuit, but during the meeting, CPD confirmed that there have been undercover police officers investigating the business.
"Liquor sales, or liquor-related violations and undercover officers have been in there multiple times and have not observed any liquor sales or any liquor-related violations," said Sgt. Daniel Sterbling.
WCPO 9 News has reached out to the Bohemian Hookah Cafe for comment, but we still haven't heard back. We asked Anagnostou if he's seeing progress from the city.
"What more do you need to file a nuisance lawsuit against the Bohemian Hookah Cafe?" said Anagnostou.
Council member Mark Jeffreys also attended Thursday's virtual meeting. He brought up potential changes to the city ordinance regarding how long a business should be legally allowed to stay open. Jeffreys said online in part, "because they don't serve alcohol, there is nothing that prevents them for staying open until 5 a.m. That's ridiculous even in a residential area."
"There's been talk about the fact that there's a huge loophole when it comes to hookah businesses and so forth," said Anagnostou. "I don't think there's any question at this point that the city needs to take action on this."
