The city’s zoning department, on Monday, told the Hookah Star & Smoking Shop, 1243 Wayne Ave. to cease occupancy immediately because the zoning district does not allow nightclubs.
“To me, it’s crazy. They consider a hookah bar a night club – it’s not a nightclub,” said owner Namr Ibrahim. He cited the absence of alcohol, a dance floor and strippers at the Hookah Star to support his claim.
Neighborhood groups said the smoke shop has allowed large crowds to gather at all hours of the night and early morning.
The business has been a magnet for noise and troublemakers who often visit the shop after the bars close at 2 a.m., according to neighbors.
“The hookah has brought a lot of problems to the neighborhood, particularly with noise, loitering and other kinds of disruptive behavior primarily in the hours after 3 a.m.,” said Amy Lee, president of Historic South Park Inc.
On Sunday, officers were dispatched to the hookah bar at about 3 a.m. Dayton police Sgt. Roberta Bailey said while officers attempted to disperse the crowd inside and outside the shop, at least five shots were heard by officers from behind the building.
A man was struck by a bullet in the leg. He was transported to Miami Valley Hospital for treatment and was listed in stable condition.
“They blame my property for the shooting but it happened outside my property line,” Ibrahim said.
On Monday, the city’s division of zoning administration issued a legal notice of violation of Dayton’s ordinances to Nimr Ibrahim, the owner of Hookah Star.
The order states the business is located within an eclectic general commercial zoning district and nightclubs are not permitted in areas with that designation.
The order states Hookah Star must immediately cease to use and occupy the property as a nightclub.
The notice warns that failure to fix the violation can lead to a fine of $50 per day up to $500 and 60 days in jail if the case is criminally prosecuted and results in a conviction.
Videos posted on Hookah Star’s Facebook page show people dancing to music. Other posts advertise upcoming DJs and announce how much visitors will be charged at the door.
In January, police were called to the Hookah Star after Ibrahim cleared his business out by firing gunshots, according to police. Police said he fired the shots into the ceiling of his store after a fight broke out and some hookahs and the entrance door were damaged.
Hookah Star has been the source of complaints and headaches among South Park residents, said Lee. It is wedged between a tattoo parlor and tire shop, near the intersection of Oak Street.
The shop should be operating as a retail hookah shop with normal business hours, but instead it is being run as a nightclub, and police have documented all kinds of misbehavior at the spot, she said.
The business owner will have 30 days to appeal the legal notice with the Board of Zoning Appeals.
“I don’t know what I’m going to do to work it out because I have to feed my family,” Ibrahim said.
The city declined to comment for this article.
Staff writer Lauren Clark contributed to this report.
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