Downtown business owners spoke disapprovingly of the Alcohol License Density Ordinance during a meeting on Tuesday, addressing the 365-day rule and calling for changes to the ordinance.
Under the 365-day rule, which was temporarily repealed in April, landlords have only 365 days to find a new tenant for the building after losing their current tenant if they wish to retain the alcohol license for the property. The attendees of the meeting were concerned with this rule and wanted to make the change permanent.
According to Ald. Mike Verveer, District 4, the temporary repeal of the 365-day rule by the Alcohol License Review Committee resulted from the knowledge that ALDO was set to end in October.
""[Ald.] Michael Schumacher [District 18] was quite adamant that he could only go along with the 365-day rule as long as it was guaranteed that it was only repealed between now and October,"" he said. Verveer said the downturn in the economy was also taken into consideration.
The ALRC is concerned with changes to ALDO, Mary Carbine, head of Madison's Central Business Improvement District Board, said. She said the ALRC wants numbers and finite benchmarks, not vague licenses and regulations.
""It's quite clear there are many ALRC members … [that] are not interested in these changes,"" Verveer said. ""I think the ALRC will be very cautious in terms of any amendments to ALDO.""
Board members unanimously voted to ask the board for possible changes to ALDO before the renewal process starts in October.
Besides the dissatisfaction with the 365-day rule, the business owners were also concerned with the rules that apply to exceptional circumstances, which include establishments that are not taverns, restaurants or liquor stores.
Verveer said the logic behind this section of the ordinance is to encompass establishments that don't fit into the category of a tavern or restaurant. These establishments may only have a maximum of 25 percent of their gross annual revenue come from alcohol.
""We are pushing businesses outside of [downtown] with this rule because of the high restrictions that they may have to deal with,"" local businessman John Bergh said.
Some business owners want to make the language of the exceptional circumstance rule include a greater variety of businesses. Verveer said he hopes to pursue this idea with the ALRC.
""We need to show why ALDO isn't accomplishing anything and why it isn't meeting its goal,"" concluded Lary Lichte. ""I think we should … start stating our case on why ALDO shouldn't be renewed.""
