The Portland Police recommended against approving a liquor license for the planned Mynt Gentleman's Club on NE 33rd and Sandy.

The neighborhood association recommended against approving the liquor license.

And yet, the Oregon Liquor Control Commission (OLCC) staff report released today recommends approving the license for the controversial site.

The owners of Mynt originally planned to open a bar called Fat Jacks on the site of the old La Fortuna Mexican restaurant and bar. But (as I reported here) after neighbors protested that the bar would lead to violence and noise and the police noted the sketchy history of co-owner Tracy Doss's other bar, Fusion nightclub downtown, the developers changed Fat Jacks bar to Mynt Gentleman's Club.

Like this, but sexxxy.
  • Like this, but sexxxy.
Laurelhurst Neighborhood Association Eric Fruits posted the OLCC staff recommendation online this afternoon.

The report spells out that because Mynt co-owner Tracy Doss was just a manager of Fusion, not an official liquor license holder, the multiple assaults that went down at Fusion shouldn't be held against him. The OLCC staff also addressed Laurelhurst neighbors' concerns that La Fortuna had been a problem area for violence. "Although the five incidents in 22 months, with four serious incidents including a homicide, are a cause for concern, the problems do not appear to rise to the level of problems that the Commission has determined are serious and persistent in other cases," reads the report, begging the question what is more "serious and persistent" than a homicide and three assaults.

"It seems to say to me, as long as you don't own the license, you can do whatever you want and get a free pass," says Fruits. "I hope that's not true, though the Commissioner will have the final vote." The OLCC commissioners are slated to vote on the license this Thursday the 17th.