In 2007, the city’s Alcohol Licensing Density Ordinance took effect in order to improve downtown safety and place restrictions on alcohol-serving venues in the downtown area.

Under ALDO, a new establishment making more than 51 percent of its sales from alcohol is subject to a fine, current bars are unable to alter their capacity level and new bars or liquor stores can only open in the location of existing liquor license-holding businesses.

Further complicating the location restrictions of ALDO is the 365-day rule, which mandates that a closing bar or liquor store must be reopened by the existing owner or new investor within a year or the building will lose its space in the density plan.

This heavily restrictive plan obviously did not sit well with existing business leaders as well as entrepreneurs, so City Council included a sunset clause of two years to evaluate the results and alter the ordinance if necessary.

But that deadline was extended. Three times.

At Tuesday’s City Council meeting, the expiration date was again pushed back to July 5 because the Council thought it needed more time to evaluate the results from the measure. And over the course of ALDO’s existence, few alterations have been made, though many suggestions have come up from members of the Alcohol License Review Committee.

In particular, downtown Ald. Mike Verveer has suggested adding certain provisions to ALDO in order to allow for more 18-and-up entertainment venues to open in the area, even if they still make a majority of their sales from alcohol.

We agree with Verveer’s proposal. The Council should stop shelving such an important issue that affects downtown Madison’s economic development and entertainment scene. ALDO’ s heavy limitations on licensing have prevented numerous different venues from opening on the isthmus. Examples include bowling alleys, live music venues and a dueling piano bar – businesses that offer more than just another place to drink.

Considering the size of the student population downtown and the severe lack of 18 and up entertainment venues to serve campus, the Council should ease up ALDO’s far-reaching provisions and make a type of entertainment classification that allows underage students to have more options for fun than just dangerous house parties or Segredo.

Interested students have an opportunity to influence this and other ALRC policy issues by applying to the open student seat on the committee. Applications can be found at cityofmadison.com