The owner of a proposed restaurant on Charles Street abruptly withdrew his application 30 minutes before an abutter’s meeting on Tuesday.

Michael Djesus had proposed “Ono Bistro” with a menu of “plates inspired by all countries of the world.” Offering a diverse selection of tapas, available for eat-in and take out, breakfast, lunch and dinner, he wanted to create a fine dining atmosphere and would have pursued a beer, wine and cordials license.

The proposed restaurant at 89 Charles Street would have replaced Artu, which had closed after 25-years in business in May, 2020, because of Covid. The ventilation system running out of the back of the establishment had run loudly for almost 20 years, when Artu was in operation, abutter Michelle Vilms said. She wanted that fixed by whoever takes ownership of the space.

“In my view, ‘they’ should not be given an Occupancy License, whoever ‘they’ becomes, unless that vent meets the decibel requirements,” she said during the meeting, which lasted about 15 minutes after the news that Djesus withdrew.

“Everybody has a lens on Beacon Hill, and everybody saw something, and collectively said something, and tried not to use hearsay and use your factual voice on what you saw,” she said.

Neighbors wondered why Djesus did not get a Conditional Use Permit from the Board of Appeals. Over the summer he had proceeded with construction with a Building Permit, which aggravated neighbors.

“It may be because it was grandfathered in that space, and there was actually a restaurant operating there before the zoning requirement came in the 1950s,” suggested Beacon Hill Civic Association’s Licensing Committee co-chair, Tom Clemens.

“There are certain premises that are grandfathered,” he said. “In any event, any food service establishment needs a CV license, a common victualler license to serve food or beverages from the licensing board, which is a separate agency of the city.”

Applicants generally sign a “good neighbor agreement” with conditions on when they put out the trash, and their hours of operation. That sets the ground rules so restaurants can operate successfully.

“Restaurants are a very important part of the neighborhood. People want them,” said Clemens. “This particular applicant appeared to not have a strong background in actually running a restaurant and maybe was a little behind the Eightball in terms of his preparation for this whole process.”

Neighbors logged into the virtual abutters meeting by the dozens to air out their allegations. Two major concerns voiced were how late the patio would stay open, and potential noise from the vents. Instead of attending the meeting to hear their neighbors’ concerns, Djesus decided to withdraw.

“The racism and sadistic discrimination is unbearable,” a representative from One Bistro replied to a text message, unwilling to share their identity or to meet. “Been through too much. We are not risking our assets on a bunch of bigots. Sorry.” A few hours before the meeting, movers pushed a bussing tray with an upside down industrial sized can of tomatoes toward the stairwell. They loaded patio lights neatly into the back of a moving truck, and the movers invited the reporter to take pictures. “Just say that you’re looking at the space to lease,” one mover said.