By Kevin Aldridge
The Cincinnati Enquirer

KENNEDY HEIGHTS - More than 100 people wearing "I Love Kennedy Heights" buttons packed City Hall Friday to oppose a liquor permit for a proposed drive-through pony keg at Kennedy Avenue and Montgomery Road.

Neighborhood leaders argued The Beverage Cave pony keg is not the kind of business they want to attract along that corridor. They fear another establishment selling beer and wine might contribute to litter, drug and crime problems in the neighborhood.

"It's not part of our dream. It's not part of our hope. It is not something we want," said Bob Herring, a life-long resident of Kennedy Heights and principal of Nativity School in nearby Pleasant Ridge.

Herring was one of dozens of residents who testified before an Ohio Liquor Control Board commissioner. About 40 people packed a small room in City Hall to listen and give testimony, while another 70 stood outside in the hallway.

Mike Wiethe, the attorney for developer Skyy Properties, argued that his client - Dr. William Jackson Jr. -- would maintain the property and prohibit loitering. He said The Beverage Cave might help spark the revitalization of the corridor that residents want.

Neighborhood leaders have said they envision that portion of Montgomery Road becoming an arts corridor. An arts center has already opened across the street from the site of the proposed pony keg.

Kennedy Heights got a $1.8 million boost from city council this year to assist with development in the community. Residents said they would not use that money on a drive-through.

"It's an insult to the community," said Ernest Barbeau, a resident of Kinoll Avenue. "An empty lot is better than a new carryout."

The hearing commissioner is expected to make a ruling on the permit in about a month.

In December, the Cincinnati Planning Commission rejected the developer's request for a building permit.

City leaders have placed development restrictions on the stretch of Montgomery Road from Pleasant Ridge to Silverton to protect a comprehensive plan developed by neighborhood residents. The restrictions allow city planners and neighborhood leaders to look at proposals from developers with an added level of scrutiny.

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E-mail kaldridge@enquirer.com