By TIFFANY RAZZANO
Acting on the advice of Peter Bee, an attorney who served as an arbitrator between Rockville Centre and Jeffrey Rumman, the club's owner, at its Aug. 2 briefing session the Village Board of Trustees slammed Rumman's appeal seeking the renewal of his business license. Trustees called for Rapture's closure, effective immediately.
Since Rapture came to the village in July 2006, the club has been visited by police on numerous occasions, and Rumman and his employees have routinely been issued tickets for violations of village code, including maintaining a disorderly premise and serving alcohol to minors.
The board initially denied the renewal of the club's business license when it expired on Feb. 28. Rumman appealed the decision, and the club stayed open throughout the appeal process, which included a hearing involving Bee, Rumman and representatives of the village to determine whether the business should have its license renewed.
Bee recommended that the board deny Rumman the license last week. "[M]unicipalities ... have the right, as well as the duty, to protect the health, welfare, safety and morals of their citizens," Bee wrote after considering the extensive case the village compiled against Rapture. "As a result, each of these entities may govern the types and places of various kinds of business establishments. The Village of Rockville Centre has chosen to limit the extension of a renewal of a business license to an establishment that has had a string of run-ins with law enforcement, including muggings, beatings, fights, gunshots, gang activity, drug activity, noise pollution, traffic congestion, overcrowding and fire code violations; and State Liquor Authority violations, which include sale of alcohol to underage patrons and disorderly premises. Rapture has proven to be a public nuisance."
Bee concluded that the village's initial decision to deny Rapture's license renewal was neither "arbitrary" nor "capricious," citing "ample evidence," including testimony of village officials against the club as well as its numerous violations, as proof "that the business is a public nuisance."
The board's resolution denying Rumman's appeal describes the club's many violations of village code "blatant, continued and willful."
"The indisputable and documented history of this business enterprise demonstrates a disregard for public safety and for the laws and regulations of the village," the resolution reads. "The manner in which the applicant has operated its business, and permitted that operation to continue, has endangered the public, law enforcement personnel, persons attending the business location, persons lawfully on the public streets and ways in the vicinity of the business location, and persons lawfully having business in other enterprises located at or in the vicinity of the licensed premises. There are no extenuating circumstances which justify the restoration of the applicant's business licenses, or the continued operation of this business at the licensed location."
The board added that Rumman has "demonstrated a personal and deliberate disregard for the public interest, or for public safety."
Rumman and his attorney, Kyle Lynch, were invited to attend the briefing session. Lynch did not show up, while Rumman arrived after the decision had been made and did not join the session. A secretary at Lynch's office said he would be unavailable for several weeks. His partner and brother, James Lynch, said that neither he nor their client would comment on the board's decision.
"I just want to get through this and not really talk to anyone," Rumman told the Herald in a phone call several days later. "It's a shame what's going on."
After the briefing session, Rockville Centre police surrounded Rapture, cordoning it off from prospective patrons who were unaware that it had been shut down. Police Commissioner Jack McKeon said that "a steady stream" of people came to the club that night, and all were turned away. "Due to the late hour the board adopted the resolution, there was a fair chance people going to Rapture wouldn't know about it," McKeon said. "[Rumman] might not have been able to stop those already on the way."
Since that night, the area around the club has been quiet, much to the relief of village residents and nearby business owners. "That's great. That's fabulous. That's terrific," said one local business owner, who declined to be identified because of past confrontations with Rumman, when she heard about the board's action. "Finally. That's the best comment we can make. Finally. We've had enough, and this was it. We hope they go away for good, because it changed everything in the village at nighttime."
Comments about this story? TRazzano@liherald.com or (516) 569-4000 ext. 221.
