A nightclub on North Washington Street, defunct since December, was denied a special exemption to reopen by the Vicksburg Zoning Board of Appeals Tuesday.

Tyrone King, who said he operated the club at 3961 N. Washington St. from August to December 2007, told the board he planned to open an “R&B lounge with live music” at the location. However, he said if the board denied his request for a nightclub he would instead open a pool hall in the coming weeks.

On the agenda

On Tuesday, the zoning board of appeals also:

• Approved a request from Betty W. Bullard for a variance on the front yard setback requirements from 25 feet to 10 feet for the purpose of constructing single family housing on the 3400 block of Oak Street.

• Tabled a request from the City of Vicksburg to amend Section 201 definitions for outdoor advertising and Section 408.9 signs in the public right of way to allow for advertising on NRoute buses, bus shelters and benches. 

• Approved the Sept. 2 meeting minutes.

Zoning Administrator Dalton McCarty said he could not give the nightclub a privilege license to operate because the business has been closed for more than 60 days and the former operator, Jesse Franklin, did not want to renew the license when asked to in May. Utilities records also show the water meter was removed in December, said McCarty.

Rolando Lott, who lives across the street from King’s business, told the board he did not support King’s proposed nightclub because of the hours of operation and excessive noise the previous nightclub created in the neighborhood.

“It’s impossible to go to sleep,” said Lott. “If they close at 2 (a.m.), it’s 3 or 3:30 by the time they leave. Nothing against Mr. King. I know him personally and he’s a nice young man. This is a quality-of-life issue.”

Even if approved by the board, King’s business would have had to conform to new restrictions on nightclubs put into place since it last closed.

Acting on police department recommendations, the Vicksburg Board of Mayor and Aldermen enacted an ordinance in April that requires nightclubs in a residential zone to close by 10 p.m. Monday through Sunday, not reopen until 7 a.m. Monday through Saturday and 1 p.m. on Sunday.

There are restrictions on the hours of operations at pool halls, but alcohol cannot be served or consumed on the premises.

King will have 10 days to file an appeal with the city clerk to have his request for a nightclub brought before the board of mayor and aldermen for a public hearing.

Board members present at Tuesday’s meeting were Tim Fagerburg, Mark Corum, Warren Jones, Fred Katzenmeyer, Tommie Rawlings and James Barnett — who attended his first meeting as a new member.