By NEAL WAGNER / City Editor

The Alabaster City Council unanimously approved a retail liquor license for a popular restaurant and club during its April 7 meeting.

The decision came more than a month after the council voted to delay the license while the Alabaster Police Department conducted background checks and other research into Panyc, which is located at 251 Buck Creek Plaza near the intersection of Alabama 119 and Kent Dairy Road.

Council members Sophie Martin, Tommy Ryals, Adam Moseley and Rick Walters voted in favor of the motion. Council members Scott Brakefield, Bob Hicks and Council President Jim McClain were absent from the meeting.

Because the club holds events for teens on some weekend nights, Alabaster Mayor David Frings said the city received some feedback from concerned parents regarding the license.

However, after the police department’s research into the club, they found no reason to suggest the council deny the license, Frings said.

“All I saw was an email from the (Police) Chief (Stanley Oliver) saying he had heard some claims from parents,” Frings said. “But he (Oliver) said they found nothing illegal.”

Panyc hosts teen nights and 21-and-up nights on different days, and the restaurant does not allow alcohol or tobacco on the premises, the restaurant owners previously said.

Frings said police officers have visited teen nights at Panyc in the past and found no illegal activities, and said it should be up to parents whether or not they wish to allow their children to attend the establishment on teen nights.

“It’s more of a parental issue whether you like it or not,” Frings said. “(The police) found that there were no laws broken.

“It’s more about parental decisions that need to be made at home,” Frings added.

In other business, Frings declared April “Donate Life Month,” and the council heard from Mike Snow, who has received a kidney and pancreas transplant.

“The importance of organ donation goes without saying,” Snow said. “(Organ donation) is a very important decision. It’s the gift of life.

“The list of people waiting for an organ is long, and I am just one example of how it affects lives,” Snow added.