Ryan’s Corner House, a Kennebunk pub, will move to Kennebunkport. (Courtesy of Ryan’s Corner House)

After 15 years, Ryan’s Corner House, a pub and restaurant in Lower Village Kennebunk, will move across the bridge to a new home in Kennebunkport.

In the coming months, Ryan’s Corner House will relocate to a restaurant space on Cross Street in Kennebunkport, formerly home to restaurants Chez Rosa and previously, Bandaloop.

At an Aug. 14 Kennebunkport Selectboard meeting, the board granted a liquor license to Ryan’s Corner House and discussed the possibility of granting a special amusement permit, which would allow the restaurant to host live music.

Joe Ryan, one of the owners of Ryan’s Corner House, said the new location will bring a new era for Ryan’s.

“We are planning to come in a different light than what we are right now,” Ryan said.

Currently, Ryan’s often hosts live music on its outdoor patio, but with no outdoor space at  the new location, the restaurant is looking to shift into offering indoor dinner music.

The restaurant will be open from afternoon to last call at 10:30 p.m., six days a week in the summer and five days a week in the offseason. Ryan said live music will be held five nights a week in the summer, and two nights a week in the winter.

In its special amusement permit application, Ryan’s Corner House asked for live music to be permitted from noon until midnight, but Ryan said this wouldn’t be the case.

“I know that some of the concerns of the residents who are here tonight are the times, but it gives me a window,” Ryan said. “We want the residents to know that we are not coming to create enemies or create problems.”

In 15 years of operating Ryan’s Corner House in Kennebunk, Ryan said he has never had to call the police or had the police called on the pub for a noise complaint, a statement that was verified by the Kennebunk Police Department.

“We run a good, clean show,” Ryan said.

But some Kennebunkport residents voiced concerns about noise, traffic, and safety.

The new Ryan’s Corner House location was previously home to restaurants Chez Rosa and Bandaloop. (Courtesy of Chez Rosa)

Kelly Scott, a Kennebunkport resident, said she is “very pro restaurant,” but was concerned that neighbors found out about Ryan’s decision to move to Kennebunkport “very last minute,” and did not have sufficient notification.

According to the selectboard, Ryan submitted his applications on time and in the correct manner, and the community was given sufficient notification about the Aug. 14 meeting.

Kelly also voiced concerns about noise.

“I think a lot of people can hear the music,” Kelly said. “The neighborhood has been very supportive to date, but this is a very different location.”

On the evening of Aug. 13, Ryan’s Corner Pub hosted live music outdoors at its Kennebunk location, which Kelly said she could hear “very clearly” at her home.

“Well, being outdoors, that would make sense,” selectman Jon Dykstra said.

With no patio space available at the new Kennebunkport location, Ryan said live music would only be inside in the future. He said the pub would also take measures to ensure a limited volume would be heard outside.

Ryan also pointed out that the Kennebunkport Inn, which is only about 200 feet away from the Cross Street restaurant, offers live outdoor music, which can also be heard in residential neighborhoods nearby.

Sarah Vander Schaaf, who moved to Kennebunkport five years ago and calls herself a “newbie” to the area, also voiced concerns about noise levels, as well as concerns about after hours “partying,” traffic, parking, and fire safety.

“We don’t want to have to rely on calling the police if things are too loud, but if there is karaoke and live music, maybe it does get too loud,” Vander Schaaf said.

The Kennebunkport Noise Ordinance only allows residents to call the police about noise complaints after 10 p.m. Ryan pointed out that his pub will barely be open beyond that time.

Karaoke is also not offered at Ryan’s Corner Pub, Ryan said. However, Alisson’s Restaurant, which is only about 300 feet away from the Cross Street location, does have karaoke.

Vander Schaaf also had concerns about traffic and parking on Cross Street and other streets around it, although no streets directly surrounding the new Ryan’s location allow parking.

The previous restaurants to occupy the space, Chez Rosa and Bandaloop, did not see traffic or parking concerns during the years they operated on Cross Street, said Ryan.

Vander Schaaf also raised concerns about Ryan’s Corner House being a “last-call kind of business,” wherein people may visit Ryan’s to “keep the party going.”

“This is just a different kind of establishment,” Vander Schaaf said. “Not to criticize it, but there’s a consequence for that.”

Tracy Ryan, co-owner of Ryan’s Corner House, said that she is at the pub “99% of the time,” and with a last call time of 10:30 p.m., it is impossible for the pub to become a last-call party stop.

Ultimately, the board granted a liquor license to Ryan’s Corner House, but tabled the discussion of a special amusement permit so that the Ryans could have time to put their intentions into writing.