The Downtown Subcommittee of the Alcohol License Review Committee met Thursday to discuss proposed changes to the downtown Alcohol License Density Ordinance, including the controversial 365-day limit put on property owners to find new tenants if they want to keep their liquor licenses.
ALDO, passed in 2007, limits the number of alcohol licenses granted to downtown businesses. The ordinance is due to expire in October, but some committee members are pushing to modify it sooner in hopes of helping out area businesses.
Several members of the public were in attendance to discuss the proposal. The majority of downtown business owners who spoke opposed the 365-day limit.
""The best way to get good operators is to have the time,"" Brian Mullins of the Mullins Group said. ""If there are extended vacancies downtown as a result of the 365-day rule, that doesn't do any good for the area.""
Kurt Frank, owner of three downtown bars, also said he opposes the limit.
""Businesses need more than 365 days to not make compromises so that there aren't issues,"" he said.
A representative of the Dane County Coalition to Reduce Alcohol Abuse said she believes there are too many liquor licenses in the downtown area and the 365-day limit would be good way to decrease some of those licenses.
""The profits of alcohol are privatized while the costs are socialized,"" she said.
Elizabeth Myer, an area resident whose son was killed by a drunk driver in 2008, also spoke in support of the limit. She said she believes the density of liquor licenses contributes to the amount of alcohol students consume.
""I agree there needs to be good tenants, but I'm concerned that the downtown area is becoming too providing of alcohol,"" Myer said.
Also discussed at the meeting was the need to provide different types of entertainment to the downtown area, which was agreed upon by everyone who spoke on the issue.
Committee members plan to continue discussion of ALDO at their next meeting.
