The trials and tribulations of Bill Rogers, owner of The Malt House, was recently given light by The Cap Times. Rogers is at odds with the city over his bid to provide outdoor seating at his tavern. The city wants the parking lot repaved as a condition to approve the alfresco drinking facilities but Rogers does not own the property and it's debatable as to whether that is his responsibility. Even if it were, he just doesn't have the money to do so at this time.
One thing that the piece neglects to mention was elaborated upon by Rogers himself at The Malt House's Facebook page – bicycle racks. He notes that the rack is often full but that the city doesn't "approve" of it. It wants "bike parking to be less dense" and for racks to be "designed for U locks". So, instead of being able to double capacity, the increase will only be on the order of 33%. I never knew that there were laws on the books saying that bikes had to have their own 2'x6' space and a 5' clearance and be designed for a particular type of lock.
The property is owned by McGrath & Associates, who are apparently unwilling to pave the parking lot. Rogers admitted that he doesn't hold a long lease on the property which makes me inclined to think that McGrath is riding the recession out and has plans to develop that corner with a mixed use project of some kind. Something smaller than, say, their Union Corners project which fell through and left the neighborhood with acres of grass and a roundabout to nowhere.
But maybe that's just me being cynical. I hope that The Malt House is around for many years and that, come this winter, I'll be able to bring a tankard of mead outside with me when I go for a smoke.
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