Annies Uppertown Tavern has a colorful history, according to locals, surrounding businesses and the crime statistics of the Astoria Police Department. Despite that, Astorias only strip club has long been a staple of the community since it opened in the 1990s.

The mother-daughter tandem of Linda Middleton and Linda DeCost recently applied for a transfer of ownership and limited liquor licenses to reopen as Annies Saloon, the latter saying, It needs some TLC.

I dont think anythings going to ease their minds until I open and show them that it can change, said DeCost about the reputation of Annies. I would never do anything to hurt the people in my community or damage property.

DeCost, an Astoria native and graduate of Clatsop Community College and Western Oregon University, said she and her mother first heard about the club from a friend of her fathers, Eamon Pollock. She was struggling to find a job after graduating with a bachelors degree in psychology and jumped on the opportunity after her mother agreed to help. Both have experience bartending and waitressing.

Kathy Tilander, co-owner of Home Bakery with her husband Jim two storefronts down from Annies, said shes dealt with scantily clad strippers coming into her store, people urinating in the parking lot and drunk people getting hit by cars in front of her store. Now that we have a family center across the street, she said of the new Mill Pond developments across Marine Drive, were more residential. Maybe it shouldnt be here.

Im going to have a bouncer, said DeCost. That has always been my No. 1 thing. They will do perimeter checks.

She said that the surrounding community has become more residential since Annies first opened, but the club has been around for many years. Im not opposed to moving in the future not in the next five years. I dont know how the city feels about that.

Deputy Chief Brad Johnston of the Astoria Police Department said he received the information on Annies Feb. 16, two days after the Oregon Liquor Control Commission?received an application for change of ownership, change of trade name and limited on- and off-premises alcohol sales. The limited license restricts Annies to beer and wine sales. DeCost said she has no plans to actually sell alcohol off-premises, but marked the option because it was available.

APD?also posted on its Facebook page about the attempt to reopen Annies, resulting in nearly 50 comments so far.

We got 600 people to Like our Facebook page, said Johnston about the new strategy for seeking public comment. Its the first time weve asked for feedback on a liquor license.

He said the comments have been varied, some not wanting any strip club at all while others lament the sorry state of the exterior and the change of the community into a more residential center.

Part of the reason for the public comment is the history of Annies, including about 340 police calls since 2001. Some people on Facebook commented that the calls at Annies were no more numerous than calls to the Chart Room on Marine Drive.

I dont care if theyre stripping over there just clean the place up, said Jeanne Browne-Miller.

Sheryl Redburn said shed rather there not be a strip club in the neighborhood, saying there are more families in the area now even a day care center behind Annies.

At first, its not going to look any different, said DeCost. Our goal in the next five years is to change the look of Annies on the inside and the outside. The outside and inside look horrible. We want to change it completely.

Even the properties next to it need attention, she said about the adjoining residential structures. Shes working on the interior, ripping out carpet, painting and otherwise sprucing it up.

The Astoria City Council has 45 days from the time the city received the application Feb. 16 to make a recommendation whether to allow Annies to open. In the meantime, the OLCC will conduct background checks, possibly inspect the location and process the application.

Public comment on a potential reopening of Annies is still open on APDs Facebook page.