To combat problems such as noise and rowdiness from Hermosa’s nightlife, the City Council moved toward barring new late-night alcohol-serving businesses, and capping existing nightspots at their current “intensification” of alcohol service, in already-saturated parts of town.
The policy tentatively adopted by the council is designed to cap the occupant load of establishments serving alcohol after 11 p.m., and to deny permits for new late-night establishments, in alcohol-concentrated areas.
Ron Newman, co-owner of Sharkeez and Palmilla Cocina y Tequila on the Pier Plaza, told council members they had already done much to tame the downtown area, including punishing some establishments with earlier closing times.
“I wouldn’t try to micromanage it and drive yourselves crazy. You’ve got it pretty well under control, and if someone gets out of line, you whack them where they need to be whacked,” he said.
Newman, along with Mayor Howard Fishman, bemoaned a lack of input on the new proposed policy from nightspot owners, whose views were solicited separately by Newman and by city officials.
Newman said business owners might be too “overwhelmed” to respond to each effort by City Hall to govern the nightlife. He pointed to a press conference the day before to kick off an aggressive new outdoor smoking ban (see story, facing page).
“Today we were trying to figure out, what are we going to do with these smoking people? That’s another animal we have to figure out. Are we going to stick them on the roof?” he said.
The policy, developed by the city Planning Commission, was written with some flexibility.
The council is encouraged to consider granting new or expanded permits to establishments that would redevelop an underutilized property or an older building, such as the coveted Mermaid Restaurant site at the corner of thePierPlazaand The Strand.
The policy also would allow exceptions for new or expanded nightspots if they have “unique” characteristics that are deemed desirable, or if the development would “promote or catalyze economic activity” such as mixed-use properties.
The policy would encourage the council to negotiate with business owners who might want to trade in some of their late-night hours for dancing or live entertainment, although officials held out little hope that there would be many such opportunities.
