The Badger Herald

NEWS

Density Plan under fire

BEN CLASSON/Herald photo

Looking for a print version?
Simply choose ‘Print’ on your computer and a printer-friendly document will be generated.

Also by Pedro Oliveira Jr.:

Research finds rapid evolution (December 13, 2007)
CAN criticizes Horowitz funding call (December 13, 2007)
Enough already: More snow hits area (December 12, 2007)
Security bills rile UW GOP group (December 11, 2007)
Students want to aid Iraqi scholars (December 11, 2007)

by Pedro Oliveira Jr.

Wednesday, March 21, 2007

A proposed plan to limit the number of bars and liquor stores downtown had students up in arms Tuesday night at a forum hosted by the Associated Students of Madison.

During the meeting, representatives from different groups involved in the plan had an opportunity to discuss and clarify issues on the Alcohol License Density Plan and give the student audience a chance to voice opinions on the issue.

The plan would only grant a Class B Combination License — the most common liquor license sought by restaurants, bars and stores — to restaurants in the downtown area that make more than 50 percent of their revenue from food.

"We see this plan as trying to solve the problem with a secondary solution," ASM representatives said in a statement. "We cannot solve the problem of violence by making bars less available for everyone wishing to have a good time."

ASM Shared Governance Committee representative Steven Grant said the organization is against the proposal, and added he is concerned about its potential consequences.

"A decrease in the number of bars will only increase the number of alternative house parties, which are less safe than licensed establishments," Grant said.

In its statement, ASM said it also believes that, with fewer bars in the downtown area, the lines will be longer and may cause customers to be agitated and more aggressive.

"They're going to be cold and drunk, and that may lead to violence," Grant added.

Madison Alcohol Policy Coordinator Joel Plant, who authored the proposal and also attended Tuesday's forum, said the objective of the proposal is to reduce the number of alcohol-related incidents.

However, Plant said, the plan is not designed to put an end to house parties, problems with city bars or overconsumption of alcohol.

"We want to reduce the incidents of alcohol-related harm, which includes violence, disorder, sexual assaults, bar-time fights, public urination and excessively loud noise at bar time," Plant said.

However, some students expressed concern with the plan's effectiveness in reducing violence in the downtown area.

According to several forum attendees, the proposal would not improve safety in the area by simply impeding new establishments seeking to acquire liquor licenses.

"The proposed legislation doesn't offer any tools [to fight violence] that we cannot already utilize based in current laws," said Hawk Schenkel, owner of Hawk's Bar and Grill. "It doesn't have any direct effect on violence, rape or any other alcohol-related incidents."

During the discussion, several speakers raised the issue that the behavior of citizens is what creates problems downtown, not the number of establishments available.

Students suggested that city officials and student groups organize education plans to create a more informed student body and decrease the occurrence of alcohol-related incidents.

The Alcohol Density Plan is one of several municipal initiatives to increase safety in campus and downtown areas. The current version of the plan is still being revised and will be discussed further by city officials and citizens.

Add a comment

We welcome your thoughts, but please keep your feedback thoughtful, on-topic and respectful. Offensive language, personal attacks, or irrelevant comments may be deleted.