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Bar owners react to Density Plan
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Also by Evan Hall:
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A day after the Madison City Council passed an ordinance banning most new liquor licenses in the downtown area, students, business owners and community members were divided over the efficacy of the contentious plan.
While some applauded the measure as a step toward reining in bar-time unrest and alcohol-related violence, others argued that it fails to address the real roots of the problem.
Proponents of the plan were quick to point out that change would not occur overnight.
"This is a very moderate plan," said George Twigg, communications director for Mayor Dave Cieslewicz. "The goal is to dial down the density of bars in a limited area."
The ordinance, part of a plan to gradually reduce the number of downtown liquor licenses through attrition, would not directly impact any bars currently in operation.
A number of local tavern owners, however, were upset after Tuesday night's vote.
"This is simply a bad way to do government, and a bad way to do business," said Kelly Meuer, owner of State Street Brats, 603 State St.
"I'm arguing against my own best interest," Meuer said, referring to the potential decline in competition in the wake of the new limits. "This simply will not curb drinking problems."
Hawk Schenkel, owner of Hawk's Bar and Grill, 425 State St., agreed.
"I've said all along that either way, I win. But I was against the idea based on principle," Schenkel said. "This legislation does nothing that could not be done before. All it does is add a barrier to business. It is anti-capitalistic, and creates possibilities for more house parties."
Supporters of the plan have cited alcohol-related crime downtown as a justification for a limit on bars. Twigg said the plan will allow the city to make better use of police in areas where they are needed instead of concentrating them around the downtown bar area.
"If police are responding to a bar fight on University Avenue, then they can't be patrolling on Langdon Street," Twigg said. "There are not enough resources to cover the policing, ambulances and detox needed in the planned zone."
Schenkel said there are plenty of measures being enacted by the city to crack down on crime without the need for a liquor license quota.
"I believe in downtown safety, and I live downtown and own a bar downtown. There are plenty of places without a liquor license that have lots of violence, and plenty of places with a license that have no violence," he said, adding that bars which continually have problems should be penalized rather than punishing all downtown bars on account of a few negative instances.
Meuer added the issue of crime has been overblown.
"The Alcohol License Review Committee presents it as a safety issue, that it is being benevolent — that we need to do this or be swallowed up in a sea of booze," Meuer said. "Prohibition didn't work; this won't work either."
Associated Students of Madison Chair Gestina Sewell said she strongly supports the student government's official stance against the measure for similar reasons.
"It is too restrictive, and its implications are going to reach farther than they were intended to," Sewell said.
Sewell said she believes the burden should not be put on drinkers or the number of bars, but that there needs to be a greater focus on individual behavior.
"We need to look at our relationship to alcohol. This plan as a whole won't take away crimes related to alcohol," Sewell said. "In the end, it is the individual's decision."
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The ALRC and the Common Council have the authority to deny any liquor license. They never needed this ordinance to give them reason to deny a license but apparently they don’t have enough backbone to just say no based on input from the public, police department and UW (yes folks, this process IS already in place). This ordinance is nothing but an excuse for elected officials to pander to a small group of Chicken Little-minded constituents. Those who voted aye should be ashamed.