A city committee heard new requests and revisited complaints from local restaurants and bars including several State Street establishments Wednesday night.

In the ALRC meeting, The Essen Haus, a Near East Side bar, asked ALRC to approve the alcohol-related aspect of its latest venture.

Bob Worm, owner of the Essen Haus for the past 30 years, requested to add outside seating and a temporary volleyball court in the middle of the property’s parking lot that will be open from May 5 to Sept. 1.

If the volleyball courts are approved by the Plan Commission, the Urban Design Commission and City Council, Worm said he would like ALRC to approve allowing customers to be able to take alcohol out to the courts.

“I don’t think it’s going to hurt anything,” he said. “It should help business in general.”

Worm said he contacted Ald. Marsha Rummel, District 6, in early January about the request and talked to neighborhood residents.

Worm said he was in a hurry to get the request rolling, as it still needs to face multiple committees. Regardless of ALRC’s approval or disapproval, he said he would move forward with a necessary investment of $18,000 for the volleyball courts this Monday.

“I’m in the alcohol business. Of course, it’s a gamble,” Worm said.

Richard Bach, Madison Police Department captain of traffic and parking enforcement and ALRC designee, said MPD was not concerned about the alcohol, but rather the potential impact of the volleyball court on noise complaints in the neighborhood. He said the police sector felt strongly that the neighborhood needed to give input and the alderman needed to be on board.

Ald. Shiva Bidar-Sielaff, District 5, motioned to approve the request as long as The Essen Haus maintains its 240-person capacity, stops serving alcohol by midnight and abides by the changes made by the three other committees.

“From the alcohol standpoint, the police department didn’t have an alcohol concern,” Tom Landgraf, ALRC member, said. “I don’t see any reason why we can’t move forward.”

The motion was approved in a 3-2 vote, with Ald. Mike Verveer, District 4, and Michael Donnelly, ALRC member, voting against it.

The committee also addressed an update on sound-proofing Plan B on 924 Williamson St. Corey Gresen, co-owner of the club, said it was sound-proofed in an effort to minimize noise complaints by nearby residents.

Some residents said they had experienced improvements, while other residents disagreed, saying the noise levels are still too loud and reporting difficulty sleeping.

After hearing complaints, Gresen said Plan B was “tapped out” and did not know what else they could do to fit into the neighborhood.

Mark Woulf, alcohol policy coordinator, said ALRC should stay involved at some level to ensure conversation keeps up between the two oppositions.

The ALRC also addressed an underage drinking violation at the Tiki Shack on State Street, where the violator was 16 years old. As a result, the Tiki Shack will be requested to follow through with rigorous I.D. checking, according to Verveer.

All approvals will face the City Council at their next meeting on Feb. 26.