LEWISTON – City planners hope action from this week’s Planning Board meeting will lead to the end of a long-standing feud between residents of an elderly housing complex on Park Street and their nightclub neighbors.

City staff is proposing a ban on drinking places near Oak Park senior housing. The ban would extend from Main Street to Park Street, to Ash Street and Bates Street.

The area has been a hot spot for complaints since two nightclubs opened near the housing complex two years ago. Police were repeatedly called to the area by elderly residents who complained of obnoxious behavior by people leaving the Blue Elephant or Club Adrenaline.

Both businesses have since closed.

But the battle produced a moratorium on the issuance of liquor licenses in the area that has been extended twice, and led to several meetings with the business owners, disgruntled Oak Park residents and public officials.

Dave Hediger, city planner, said city officials have been grappling with whether the solution lies in licensing requirements, zoning changes or police action. The proposal before Planning Board members is a zoning change.

“It will force the discussion and hopefully lead to action by the Planning Board and City Council,” said Hediger. The existing moratorium on licenses expires Aug. 28.

The change would only affect businesses that are primarily drinking establishments. Restaurants that also serve drinks – such as Chopsticks and Guthrie’s, which are both in the proposed district – would not be affected.

Hediger said the time seemed right for the proposal, since both clubs have been abandoned. Other businesses, such as restaurants or retail, could take over the properties, but they could no longer be clubs under the proposed change.

The Planning Board will hold a public hearing on the issue at 5:30 p.m. Wednesday, April 23, in City Council chambers.