The Margate City Commission meeting on January 8, 2026, highlighted growing frustration among residents and city officials regarding the Sunrise Wine and Tequila Bar.
The discussion centered on ongoing quality-of-life issues and questions about why Margate City hasn’t taken more aggressive action against the Sunrise Tequila owners, Brian and Dana Hiltner. WATCH VIDEO:
Key Issues Reported by Margate Residents
- Excessive Noise: Neighbors reported persistent, loud music that disrupts the community.
- Sanitation & Pests: Trash is frequently overflowing, leading to sightings of animals (possibly raccoons or cats) and concerns about a rodent infestation.
- Safety Hazards: Emergency exits and sidewalks are reportedly blocked by trash and debris.
- Parking Congestion: The bar’s presence has significantly worsened the lack of parking in the immediate residential area.
- Disrespectful Behavior: Residents alleged that the owners ripped up noise citations in front of police officers, demonstrating a blatant disregard for local law and community standards.
letter from Neighborhood Group Re: Sunrise Tequila Bar
The Question of Selective Enforcement
A central theme of the meeting was whether the bar is receiving preferential treatment. This stems from a few key factors:
- Influential Ownership: The owners of Sunrise Tequila Bar are prominent local real estate agents. This has led to public speculation that their professional influence may be shielding them from more severe penalties.
- Mayor’s Appointment Power: A resident challenged Mayor Mike Collins on his role in appointing the Planning Board, which initially approved the bar’s application. The Mayor defended his appointments but insisted he does not influence their independent votes.
- Planning Board Sentiment: During the approval process, the Mayor’s father (a former Planning Board member) reportedly told the public that residents “shouldn’t have bought a residential house in a commercial district,” a comment that many saw as dismissive of local concerns.
City Officials’ Response & Stated Limitations
While residents are calling for a nuisance bar designation or more severe legal action, city officials claim they are doing what they can within the law:
- Our Hands are Tied: Police and commissioners noted that when officers arrive, the music is often turned down, making it difficult to issue immediate citations.
- Fines as “Cost of Doing Business”: The bar has already paid 14 noise summonses at $1,000 each. However, residents argue these fines are ineffective as they are simply treated as a standard operating expense by the owners.
- Pending Solutions: Solicitor Scott Abbott mentioned that the owners are expected to install double-paned, insulated glass on the second floor within a month or two to help mitigate the noise.
- Further Action: The city is reviewing a formal complaint letter from a neighborhood group’s attorney and plans to hold additional meetings with the owners to straighten out the situation before the spring season.
Just another example of poor and preferential city planning! It’s never gonna be a quiet bar in the neighbors are never gonna go away. It should’ve never been allowed to be built in that location with expectations concerning the noise and parking . The trash and litter can be solved, but the building itself was a mistake from the start. Good luck, it’s unfortunate that the neighborhood has to suffer. Consistent heavy fines and penalties. Are the only ways to try to control it. And that’s why sometimes they call it , “To-kill-ya!”
The residents of shore towns just don’t get it. ELECTED OFFICIALS, BUSINNESES DON’T WANT PERMANENT RESIDENTS OR RESIDENTIAL COMMUNITIES. You are nothing but a nuisance to them. Shore towns are only there to make money. They only need a very small number of people who can vote them in every year and who live in a small area that is tolerable, and thats it. Everything else is for tourists. And tourists don’t care about so called nuisance bars….or anything else for that matter.
well time to elect someone who actually gives a damn about what ALL the taxpayers want & need to live peacefully in an area they are invested in. We can do better than the “historic” grift in Margate.
Following the Thursday meeting, we could understand one mistake with the commissioners and planning board. Homeowners / citizenship of Margate come last. Even with the new Citizens Advisory Board.
The Mayor telling those, I’m trying to do the right thing – “I’m pulling away from my father in law”. What a joke .
Remember, Johnny’s parking lot (lost that) Chinese restaurant, gas station, Tequila bar, bay view (destroying the view) creating congestion. All lost opportunities for creating uniqueness with a financial return on investment.
Hundreds of variances granted by the planning board, ie Bags the Builder 12 units with permission for 6 still dragging thru court and then covid that on homeowners backs.
Thank you Goldstein for helping these wonderful people. Multiple employees of the city suing Margate – long standing all because Collin’s and Horn lack leadership and governmental experience and insist on yes employees.
Young families being push out of Margate due to over-priced housing.
Elder residents paying higher taxes due to escalating school cost for not one but 2 schools – how many children live in Margate?
Haven’t we all had ENOUGH. Let’s make Margate GREAT AGAIN.
Mayor Collins is either a devious liar or an incompetent joke. McLarnon and Planning Board are total crap, look at all the giant ugly 3 story boxes being built around town.
You want Margate to look like block after block on West Ave in OC? We HAD a little gem of a town, really unique homes, the beautiful Parkway section on Ventnor Ave, Amherst Ave at sunset, etc.
But now there’s the Tequila Bar, The Baglivo apartments, Amherst Ave with giant ugly buildings looking more like Center City Philly, the Margate CFO McLauglin situation, etc. Scott Abbott, the City Solicitor, is making TONS of taxpayer money on billable hours with all of this going on.
Corrupt and nasty Richard Patterson was Chair of the Planning Board for years and approved all this garbage. Nasty pompous Roger McLarnon has been the city engineer for about 10 years, and he OK’ed this crap too. Now the Chair is Mike Richmond, a local builder, who has obvious conflicts of interest. Just because the codes SAY you can build up to whatever feet high, doesn’t mean you MUST approve these monstrosities.
We need to vote out Collins at the next election, and take Horn with him.
More to come with the Master Plan study and revision. Now is the time to take the city back from Collins Clown Crew. People need to ask questions every meeting about progress and see if Collins and McLarnon lie or tell the truth. Make Rutala explain it in advance.
They treat their employees poorly, can’t keep a manager, the food is average at best, drinks are over-priced, environment is sterile. Last three times I have been there, it was empty, so I left.
If we are all lucky, they will just close shop. Maybe Cookie or Sophia can take it over. Hopefully they can do the same with Ventnor Social
Wait…so I pay taxes for a tourist town and schools? Do I get a break for living in the “tourist” end of town? When I drive I obey all the traffic laws in school zones.
But the owner of the to-kill-you bar doesn’t have to obey any laws?
So the taxpayer is the nuisance now?
Yep. Residents are the nuisance in a TOURIST TOWN. You really need to understand that. YOU DO NOT COUNT.
The sad truth- Mayor and sidekick Horn don’t really care what you think! Margate is very lucky our department leaders are competent in running their respective responsibilities.
Our leadership keeps causing issue after issue impacting the department’s daily task. Do you really think our police department wants to deal with these Tequila Bar issues created by leadership decisions?
The only way to fix Margate is to get rid of the people causing the problems. Planning/Zoning board members- Your fired! Abbott- your fired! Our new Business Administrator- go back to wherever you came from!
Collins and Horn-go sit with Claire Swift on the boardwalk. Your self belief you know better than the Margate citizens is destroying our tranquil residential city by the sea!
And you’re costing us more current real estate dollars while creating future debt with your spending vision to support your friends! More Yeti’s for all!
Jakey is just going to bill these poor people and do nada. He is not a trial lawyer. He won’t go after Goldstein, Collins, Horn, the old planning board or MacLarnon. The neighbors need to go to an out of town lawyer who will sue everyone associated with this dumpster fire, Everyone, 20 people minimum. As they say in Tequila land Hasta la vista baby.
Agreed! They should have asked if Jake had any conflicts with the City – aka the City Clerk who issues the mercantile licenses (cough cough his mother in law)
I’m a Ventnor resident who has been following this story. My vacation home is in Amsterdam, Netherlands. I live in an condominium next door to a bar. I am 2 floors above the bar. Originally our building had double pane glass to stop the street noise from the bar. After 10 years we realized that it didn’t work. We now have triple pane glass . Somewhat better. It’s a sad situation.