Solana Beach

In the latest twist of a 30-month dispute over nighttime noise at a Solana Beach nightclub, a three-man appeals board has ordered further hearings to find a solution to the complaints against the Belly Up Tavern.

Last Thursday’s ruling follows a long series of administrative turns in the case. Proceedings began in 1988, when neighbors claimed that the Belly Up staged noisy nighttime music and allowed patrons to disturb the peace once they left the establishment.

In May, Alcoholic Beverage Control Department Commissioner Jay Stroh ordered the bar to stop serving beer and alcohol after midnight or lose its liquor license. His decision followed public hearings and a separate opinion by an administrative law judge.

Nightclub owner Dave Hodges appealed Stroh’s decision, setting up the most recent ruling by the three-man appeals board, which is appointed by the governor, said Pete Case, an ABC district administrator.

“Things are still at a stalemate,” he said.

Hodges could not be reached for comment Monday. In the past, however, he has said he could not afford to remain open if his business hours were curtailed.

A date for hearings had not yet been set.