LEWISTON – Blue Elephant Lounge owner Ajantha Weerakkody told councilors he’d made great strides in calming things down at his Park Street nightclub in recent weeks.

He’d brought in professional security, curtailed his hours of operation and opened for fewer days each week, all in an effort to tame the club’s rowdy reputation. The problem is the club’s placement, directly across the street from elderly housing. Given enough time, he was sure he could fix it.

“This has been a problem at this spot for 30 years,” Weerakkody said. “You can’t expect me to fix it in six months.”

But councilors agreed Tuesday, he’s had his chance. They voted unanimously not to renew his liquor license and his entertainment permit at 37 Park St. They also created a 90-day moratorium on new liquor licenses all along Park Street. That will keep any new nightclubs from coming in to the spot until the city can find a way to balance night life with Park Street neighbors.

“These are the same things we’ve been talking about since August,” said City Councilor Mark Paradis. Nothing has changed, he said.

Police have responded to multiple complaints about the Blue Elephant and neighboring Club Adrenaline since the summer. Elderly neighbors in the Oak Park Apartments have complained of late-night noise, rowdiness and crimes from the bar’s patrons ever since The Cellar Door, a popular Auburn nightclub closed. Auburn police complained of rowdiness at that club.

The City Council voted in February not to renew the bar’s annual special amusement permit, but saved a formal decision until Tuesday. The council’s decision can be appealed to the state, according to City Administrator Jim Bennett. Weerakkody said he plans to meet with his attorney before he makes his next step.

But it was good news for residents of the Oak Park Apartment complex at Park and Oak streets. Theresa Green told councilors she couldn’t get a good night’s sleep all summer because of the noise.

“And if you do get to sleep, you’ll get woken up,” she said. “I don’t know how many nights I’ve been woken up.”

New Club

Tuesday also saw the city approve a new liquor license for 855 Lisbon St., the former home of Rock’n Robin’s. Councilors pulled the liquor license for that club in 2004 citing excessive police calls, rowdiness and crime.

State law doesn’t let city councilors deny liquor licenses to new businesses based on a location’s bad history, according to Bennett. Gerard Poisson, owner of Double Deuce, the new club, promised his club would be different.

That wasn’t much comfort to Summit Avenue residents Melissa Caron and Bob Lambert. Their backyards overlook the new nightclub’s parking lot.

“I don’t care who you are or what you do, you can’t control a crowd of 20 to 30 people that are full of drink,” Lambert said. “There will be problems, there will be noise.”

Councilors urged both to call the police the moment they are bothered by the club.