Holy spirits: Merlas convert church to pub Seek council's blessing to serve alcohol at business, to be called Trinity BY KAREN E. BOWES Staff Writer KEYPORT - From God's house to steakhouse, a former church has been transformed into an eclectic downtown eatery. Trinity, 84 Broad St., is scheduled to open for business in the next four to six weeks, according to owner Charles Merla, brother of former Mayor John Merla. On Feb. 6, Merla and attorney Raymond Latham appeared before the Borough Council seeking permission to serve alcohol at the former house of worship. Merla already owns a pocket liquor license and wishes to have it transferred for use at the new establishment. Because of critical testimony from the public, the council opted not to vote on the matter that evening, instead deferring their decision until Feb. 20. Merla described the menu as "part steakhouse, part Latin and Asian, part Mediterranean." The area where the altar was is now a stage area for bands, Merla said, and a DJ booth is located in the old pulpit. There are three floors and enough room for approximately 99 guests to be seated comfortably, he said. Two bars - one in the basement and one on the main floor - will have about 10 stools each, Merla said. An outdoor seating area is also planned for warmer months. "It's got a lot of charm and ambiance," Merla said. Resident Michael Lane questioned several aspects of Merla's application, first noting that a church is located within 200 feet of the new restaurant. "There's a church at Third and Main streets," Lane said. "That's within a 200-foot radius of the business." Lane said that he measured the distance at about 190 feet. Police Capt. Thomas Mitchell interrupted, noting that the law requires that the 200-foot barrier is meant to be measured door-to-door, not by radius. Lane also objected on grounds that Merla's brother, John Merla, was mayor at the time the application was submitted, a fact not noted on the application. Lane further questioned who owned the liquor license, saying that according to his own research, the owner or owners of the license tends to differ according to various documents. Charles Merla, John Merla and youngest brother Joseph Merla inherited half of the pocket liquor license in December 2005, when their mother passed away. The other half of the license is owned by another party, Jolie Schwartz. According to Merla's attorney, Schwartz recently signed a purchase agreement to sell her half of the license to the Merla brothers for $1, pending the outcome of the hearing. According to Latham, Charles Merla is now considered the sole owner of the liquor license because both of his brothers have signed waivers renouncing their rights to the document. In response to one resident's criticism, Mayor Robert Bergen said he did not think the $1 purchase agreement was cause for concern. "Whether they sold it to Tom, Dick or Harry, it's really not important if she consents to transfer her rights," Bergen said. "You can't make her keep it." While one resident complained of "murkiness," others spoke in favor of the applicant. "I'm a fourth-generation Keyport resident and I have the pleasure of doing the finances for Joseph Merla and Charles Merla," said Henry Rinkewich, a local certified public accountant. "If there are any questions on murkiness, finances or personal transactions, I can assure you that their taxes are filed on time. The sales taxes are correct and on time. The payroll taxes are correct and on time. And I know that because I do them. I do it for a living and I feed my family. If I'm not doing it right, I'm not eating, and I like to eat." The accountant continued, "Although I have a vested interest in seeing this business move ahead, I think an Italian restaurant downtown would be an asset." To clear up questions of "murkiness," Bergen asked that Latham provide a number of documents by Feb. 20, the date the council plans to vote on the matter.