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Lottery overload, or furor over nothing? Photos by Bob Pennell Video poker machines don't fit with Central Point's plans for downtown, says Center Cafe co-owner Larry Thornton, right, with Pioneer Lounge owner Jim Mock. "It eliminates the diversity of people we want to attract down here," Thornton says. Central Point poker debate is no game Block could have 15 machines By SUSAN JAY CENTRAL POINT -- Some downtown merchants fear their block will turn into casino row if Ivy's Cafe gets a liquor license and video poker machines. "I'm not against them doing business," said Glenna Thornton, who owns the Center Cafe at 223 E. Pine St. with her husband, Larry. "I do have a problem with them saturating a one-block area." The Center Cafe already has businesses on either side of it -- the Pioneer Lounge and the Purple Parrot -- that sell alcohol and offer video poker. Ivy's Cafe isn't open yet, but it's two doors east of the Center Cafe, on the same side of the street, in the same block. Ivy's five additional machines would mean a total of 15 video poker machines within half a block. Pat Mulcahy cleans the windows at the Center Cafe, next to the Purple Parrot in Central Point. "Spread them out," Thornton said. "Don't put them one door away from each other." But Ivy's owner says the merchants have a "misguided perception" of his clientele and business. "First and foremost I would say we're a restaurant, a food place establishment," said Dave Thomason, owner of Purple Parrot of Oregon LLC, which also owns Ivy's Cafe. There are eight Purple Parrots in Oregon. They serve food and offer Oregon Lottery games, including video poker. In Jackson County they are in Talent, Medford, White City and Central Point. "Definitely we are known for having a lottery product, but we also take great pride in the food we serve," Thomason said. The Thorntons and other merchants say they are concerned for their safety and the safety of their customers because of a robbery at the Central Point Purple Parrot a couple of months ago and because other Purple Parrots in the county have been robbed. Thomason said the Purple Parrot in Central Point has been robbed only once since 1996. The merchants also say that places with video poker machines won't help downtown revitalization. "It doesn't fit," Larry Thornton said. "It eliminates the diversity of people we want to attract down here." Thomason said, "We're not trying to anger any of our neighbors, and we want to fit in." He said he understands the merchants' concerns, "but I think their perception of the kind of the clientele we draw is very much misguided." He said that more than 75 percent of his customers are women who want to grab a bite to eat, play the Oregon Lottery and not have to go into a bar or tavern. They are "nice and clean-cut," Thomason said, and they want a nice atmosphere. Ivy's needs a liquor license to qualify for video poker machines. Part of the license application process requests a recommendation or comment from the city. Last week the City Council voted against recommending a beer and wine license for Ivy's, after listening to the Thorntons and another merchant's concerns. The Thorntons said they have seen Purple Parrot customers dump garbage in front and in back of their restaurant and rip down outside lighting. But the council's nay vote may be moot. State liquor license requirements are very specific, dealing mostly with the applicant's history concerning liquor and liquor laws, said City Administrator Jim Bennett. Community standards or values are not considered when granting a liquor license, he said, but the City Council decided to oppose the application anyway. "We don't need any more gambling," Councilwoman Carol Fisher said. Putting more video poker machines on one block, she said, doesn't add to the family atmosphere she hopes will come from downtown revitalization past . The OLCC also considers liquor law violations, criminal history, financial ability, and any history of drug or alcohol abuse, said Louise Kasper, OLCC public affairs officer. The commission does not regulate the density of liquor establishments, she said. The council asked Bennett to research other cities for ordinances limiting the density of liquor outlets. Thomason wants the council to change its vote on Ivy's liquor license application, and said he may appeal the council's objection to the OLCC. "We have no intention of going," Thomason said. "We bought that business, and we have a substantial amount of capital in it." If Thomason gets the liquor license and his lottery application is accepted, then the Oregon Lottery will look at the sales at existing lottery outlets nearby to see if they are selling enough video poker to justify another retail outlet, said David Hooper, Oregon Lottery public affairs manager. "If their sales are relatively low or marginal, that would indicate to us that an additional retail outlet wouldn't be able to generate the business that would be profitable for them or the state," he said. "The lottery would not have a legal basis for denying that contract, if indeed the market could support another retail outlet." The state will also look at the percentage of food and beverage sales of nearby lottery outlets to make sure that lottery revenue accounts for no more than 60 percent of a business, Hooper said. If Ivy's passes all of the lottery's background checks and revenue analysis, "we would not have a legal basis to deny them," Hooper said. On the other side of the coin, Hooper said, many video poker retail owners reinvest in their businesses, making them more attractive in the community. Mail Tribune Copyright � The Mail Tribune 1999, Medford, Oregon USA