New Pool Hall Subject of Planning Commission Meeting

The main focus of Monday night's Manassas Park Planning Commission meeting was a public hearing regarding a Conditional Use Permit (CUP) for a proposed new bar, The Point Bar and Billiards.

The Point will be located at 8488-A Centreville Rd., the former location of the Que Club. It will be owned by Cesar Florero and brothers Elvis and Roy Reynolds.

 Manassas Park Planning and Zoning director Vanessa Watson said unlike the Que Club which didn't have a kitchen, The Point will not only have a kitchen, but a restaurant, a dance area, a disc jockey booth and an area for live entertainment. The establishment will also have a bar area and eight billiard tables.

Watson explained to the board that when the establishment opens, it will operate as a club from 9 p.m. until 2 a.m. Right now the owners are applying for a liquor license.

While members of the community did not speak at the hearing, the commission had a lot to say.

Commissioner Julie Cline expressed concern about allowing children into The Point.

“It doesn't seem like an establishment where people under 18 should be,” Cline said. This is because it, “principally [offers] adult entertainment, she added.

Cline also expressed concern about the exterior of the building. According to CUP rules, the exterior should have a window wall and one should be able to see clearly into the establishment. Right now there are three small windows and they, along with the door, are tinted pitch-black, which is not in accordance with the rules.

After much discussion among the commissioners, the owners agreed that children under 18  should not be allowed in the building without their parents or an adult. They also agreed to work with the building owner to create a window wall or to enlarge the existing windows by 30 percent.

Commissioner Ed Rishell Jr. voiced his concerns about security around the premises. Eventually, the commission and the owners agreed that Monday through Thursday there should be one security guard and manager on duty at all times and Friday through Sunday there should be at least a manager and two security guards at all times.

The commission agreed to recommend the CUP for approval to the Manassas Park Governing Body, as long as the owners adhered to its conditions.

In addition to the aforementioned conditions, Manassas Park city attorney Dean Crowhurst drafted into the CUP that there should be no more than eight pool tables in the establishment and that only one band, with no more than five members, could play at a time. He also wrote into the CUP that the dance floor should only be used by patrons—no professionals.

Once it is approved by the governing body, The Point will have its CUP reviewed yearly to make sure they are still in compliance. According to Watson, the owners are hoping to open by mid-July.

In addition to the hearing, Watson gave a few updates. She said that the owner of Vanessa's Carnicita is opening a clothing store called Boutique. She added that Oasis Beauty Salon and Spa will be opening at the end of the month.