While standing on the front steps of AMF Towson, one can see several residences and see neighbors in their yards directly across from the establishment.

Because the bowling lanes are located in a residential area, the homeowners have yet to see disturbances caused by late night crowds, Campus Hills Community Association member Andrea Otis said.

But the community is worried that the peaceful neighborhood environment will be broken now that AMF Towson is seeking a liquor license.

“We would appreciate it that they could acknowledge they’re re in a residential community and try to be good neighbors,” Otis said.
Towson AMF Lanes declined to comment, but Otis said she thinks that liquor license would allow for a bar within the lanes and would attract more people.

The community is now collecting signatures for a petition and members plan on attending a hearing to oppose the approval of a liquor license on Oct. 22.

A liquor license will bring in business for the alley, freshman Jeremy Bridges said.

Yet he doesn’t think it will create any problems for the surrounding community because students will be more interested in bowling than getting drunk.

“It will be an atmosphere where you will have one or two drinks and then go bowl but not get hammered,” he said.
Stoneleigh Lanes on York Road is a Bring Your Own Beer duckpin bowling alley and Manager Deb Gill agrees that being a BYOB alley doesn’t promote the customers drinking heavily.

“They like it because they can’t carry in enough beer, wine or whatever to get really, really intoxicated,” she said. “Many carry in a six-pack or 12-pack for two or three people.”

Gill said that they don’t have many problems and are closer to the University than Towson AMF Lanes.

“The only concerns I’ve really gotten are on college night when the kids leave,” she said. “We’ve found an occasional trash can upside down or the kids are causing problems when they leave here.”

Otis said that they aren’t completely against the liquor license, but due to the past relationship with the alley, they don’t think AMF Lanes will respect being in a neighborhood with the license.

“We would prefer to see sustained changes over the next few years before we could support a liquor license,” she said.