The city’s Alcohol License Review Committee voted to retract R’ Place bar’s liquor license in response to reports of violence, disorderly conduct and noise complaints for many months.

Problems at the bar peaked last weekend when a shooting took place outside of the bar, located on the 1800 block of South Park Street. All three victims had just left the bar. One of the victims, Eugene Lee, was an R’ Place employee. No one was killed, but all three were hospitalized.

Following the shootings, Madison City Attorney Jenifer Zilavy filed a temporary restraining order against the bar. Dane County Judge David Flanagan then moved to close the bar pending further order of the court.

At the meeting, bar owner Rick Flowers’ claim proceedings at the last hearing violated statue 807, which states that agreements relating to the issue are only binding if made in court, was quickly refuted. ALRC Chair David Hart proceeded to turn off Flowers’ microphone, and the committee voted unanimously to move into closed session to further discuss the matter.

After moving to closed session, the committee deliberated for nearly an hour.

The committee did not take the recent violent incidents into account during the deliberation, according to Ald. Mike Verveer, District 4. Verveer said the decision was based entirely on 15 incidents of violence and disturbances that occurred in 2009 and 2010.

When the meeting reconvened, Hart said the committee had unanimously agreed “R’ Place was acting as a disorderly and riotous house as defined by Madison general ordinances.”

Hart then announced the committee had voted in favor of revoking R’ Place’s liquor license, with seven in favor and one abstaining from the vote. A complete revocation was the maximum punishment, Verveer said.

“It seemed to me that we had no choice but to give R’ Place the ultimate penalty. That’s based on the fact that they had such a large number of police calls,” Verneer said. “The fact that they’ve had so many disturbances despite having such a small capacity left us no choice but to recommend that their liquor license be revoked.”

Verveer said this recommendation would be passed on to the Madison City Council, where a final decision will be made Oct. 4.