On December 11, the Seattle school district filed an objection with
the Washington State Liquor Control Board against the Twilight Exit, a
Central District bar that is being displaced from its current location
at Madison Street and 22nd Avenue. The school district complained that
the bar’s proposed new location, on Cherry Street near 25th Avenue,
would be “very close to Garfield High School.” Under state law, school
objections can veto liquor-license applications for bars within 500
feet of the “main entrance of the school.” But the location of the new
Twilight Exit is nearly 1,000 feet from Garfield’s front doors.
Bar owner Stephan Mollmann was planning to move to the new location
in early January. But the district’s complaint could scotch those
plans. “If there is an objection from a public school, under state law,
we can’t issue the license,” says liquor board spokeswoman Anne
Radford. The appeal process can take as long as nine months—and
the Twilight Exit is losing its current building, which will be
demolished for a new five-story apartment development.
“We are almost done remodeling, and I have sunk a lot of money into
[the new bar],” Mollmann says. “In the worst-case situation, I would
have to sell my house and find another spot” for the Twilight Exit.
This isn’t the first time the school district has fought a Central
District business. Over the last several years, the district has
pressured at least two establishments—Lloyd’s Rocket, near
Gatzert Elementary School, and La Louisiana, at the site of the
proposed Twilight Exit—into onerous “good neighbor agreements”
that required the businesses to assume responsibility for activities
outside their walls. (Neither establishment is still in business.) But
as Seattle’s neighborhoods become denser, the district has fallen out
of step. Instead of fighting bars like the Twilight Exit—which
made its stretch of Madison Street, near the notorious Deano’s,
safer—the district should be the good neighbor and quell its
objections.
A spokesman for the school district couldn’t explain why it objected
to the bar in the first place. “We want to make sure the school and
school community have a… discussion with the applicant before it
proceeds,” district spokesman David Tucker said.
Meanwhile, Mollmann says he can’t get the district to return his
calls.
Andrew Taylor, chair of the Miller Park Neighborhood Association and
father of two Garfield graduates, says he never heard of any complaints
about the Twilight Exit in its current location. “I can’t imagine why
there would be a problem with the Twilight in this [new] location,” he
says. 
have him checkout 18th & Jackson, there are some new commercial spaces available and we would love a cool bar.
Typical Mrs. Reverend Lovejoy (Simpsons’) bullshit, “Save The Children! We must Save the Children from Society, the World, and Themselves as a Whole!” These blowhards in the school district are always looking for something to complain about when it is they that lack the moral compass and leadership skills to create the law abiding minds of tomorrow all at the expense of small business. Its a blame game. If those Garfield kids want booze or drugs they’ll find it, no matter if there is a bar 1000 feet away or 2 miles. What they really should be more concerned about what goes on in the classroom (like the Curriculum, and the Quality of Teaching, Teen Pregnancy, Gang Violence, Test Scores) instead of wasting time, money, resources, on matters beyond their jurisdiction. If a problem arises deal with it then, other than that let the man run his business within the confines of the law. Geezz, this is typical Seattle whining about issues that don’t really matter except to a few ‘Political Puritans’ who spend majority of their lives looking for something to cry about and blame. What a bunch of bureaucratic bone heads that belong in Illinois. Oh and when you leave, take the Mayor with you, I’m sure with the way he’s let his cronyism developers run this city for the last several years he’d be welcome there too. I hear there’s a senate seat available. Bunch of Jack Asses.
The accompanying picture of a young man swilling a Miller Gold and sporting two blackened eyes….well , doesn’t that add some visual creedence to the argument against the proposed move?..
that young man is 28…the twilight is has a doorman and he checks everyone’s ids…..and yes people drink beers in bars…i think garfield should worry more about the growing gang problem at their school…
Unbelievable. The last thing we need on Cherry (speaking as someone who lives across from Garfield) is a place that would be welcoming for law abiding adults. Garfield should focus on the the thugs it generates and not oppose a business that would have a beneficial impact on the neighborhood. Disgusting. I’ll just have to have my after work beer at Meskal, which is actually within the 500 foot radius of Garfield’s sacred front door. s opposed to Twilight, which I like better.
If you would like to comment on the Twilight Exit’s Application to Change Location, please email:
comments@liq.wa.gov
The Board, by law, is required to consider the comments of all interested parties.
I have been a resident in this area for the last 6 years and have seen the positive impact a well attended establishment like Meskel has brought to the neighborhood. When Meskel first wanted to move into the the area there was a HUGE stink, but oddly enough not by Garfield. It was by the neighbors. Now it’s Garfield that has the problem and the neighbors are silent because they have seen what Meskel has done. I am a huge fan of the twilight and would love to see it in my backyard.
Seriously? Seriously? I think the school district- and SPECIFICALLY Garfield HS- have much more important things to worry about. Someone needs to get their priorities straight.
@ Randy Flemming:
For the record, I took the photo used in this story. That’s my friend Matt. His black eyes and broken nose didn’t happen at the Twilight Exit, they happened in a bar in Portland, Oregon. We were merely at the Twilight when I took the photo.
That “young man” is not 28. Check your facts Kevin Russell, that “young man” was 26 in that picture. That “young man” is 27 now, that “young man” is me.
Maybe the high school kids will be less likely to shoot each other in the face if there are more people around. Garfield needs to think harder about who’s on their side and who’s not.
I just heard from Ron English (deputy general counsel of the seattle school board) and i looks like we’ve reached an agreement and the twilight exit will relocate to cherry st. haven’t signed anything yet, but it seems as if i just have to take care of a bit of red tape and we’re good.
I honestly wish they would just stay on Madison. To hell with re-locating.
I want to know at which Portland bar that dude got beat up. I’m from Portland and can’t imagine where. Tell!
any help for us would be great.. we have a tavern that is opening this month…it is within 1 block of our school..about 600 ft from it.. most of us are just finding this out we are trying to stop it but we are running out of time they are going to be opening very soon probley in a couple of weeks.. ant help we can get would be great..is there any tips yu may have that could help…thank you