Beacon, Icon closed temporarily

COEUR d'ALENE - A downtown establishment has closed until Thursday as the result of a pair of alcohol citations it received in February.

The Beacon pub and connected Icon and Underground bar closed Saturday.

Owner Jerry Goggin said the bar was also fined $1,500 by the Idaho State Police Alcohol Beverage Control.

One citation involved a worker who consumed alcohol inside the bar after 2:30 a.m. and it was closed, according to police reports, and the other involved a worker who reportedly over served a patron. They were cited between Feb. 20 and 21.

A public records request could not be filled by the ABC office Monday since litigation on the case is still pending, said Idaho State Police Lt. Bob Clements.

The Icon, 317 E. Sherman Ave., opened on Jan. 20.

First-time alcohol serving infractions are a proposed 10-day closure, but can usually be settled with fines, Clements said.

Reduced penalties are also offered by proving servers have been properly trained. The second offense in a three-year window is a proposed 30-day closure, although portions can also be settled through fines.

By statute, alcohol violations are forwarded to the ABC office for review. Severity is also taken into account.

After a Dec. 27, 2009, downtown shooting that left two men injured, Coeur d'Alene city officials and law enforcement agencies tightened rules and increased police foot patrols in the city center.

Other establishments were cited in 2010, including the Torch Lounge on March 5 for over serving, and the Ironhorse bar on April 24, for serving after hours, according to the police department.

Goggin said the worker consuming alcohol was terminated the following day. The server of the reported over serving has since moved on from the restaurant.

Meanwhile, the city is still considering implementing new rules for downtown, including establishing a taxi zone on the east side of the 100 block of Fourth Street between 10 p.m. and 4 a.m. for pick up and drop-offs. It also is considering establishing a rule where bartenders and servers would have to pass a certified serving course as part of their jobs.

Both rules will be considered at 6 tonight during the City Council meeting in the Community Room of the public library.