HomeMy WebLinkAbout01-24-2018 Item 3 - Cooper
To:SLO Planning Commission
Re: Continued discussion on alcohol-related safety problems in Downtown
From:Allan Cooper, Secretary Save Our Downtown
Date:January 23, 2018
Dear Honorable Chair Stevenson and Commissioners -
The Land Use & Circulation Element Task Force developed the following programs and policies (the
bold type is mine):
1.New Program: The City shall incorporate into its zoning regulations speciÐc criteria for
evaluating use permits for bars/taverns, night clubs and late night drinking establishments.
2.New Policy: City shall promote a healthy mix of downtown street-level businesses that
emphasizes retail stores, specialty shops and food service rather than bars or taverns.
3.New Program: The City shall prepare an inventory of uses in the Downtown Core. Particular
attention shall be given to identifying uses at the street level as these uses directly impact the
pedestrian experience and vibrancy of the Downtown. This information shall be used to target
business support and attraction to achieve a desirable mix of uses in the Downtown.
The City promised that staff and Council would look into implementing an over-concentration law.
Under "assessing and renewing DowntownÆ, staff included in its action plan the following: "Alcohol
Concentration Evaluation and Adoption of Code Amendments." The completion time for this was
November of 2014.
Therefore we are urging you to revisit Ordinance No. 17.11.040: Åalcohol outlet public safety
strategies and deemed approved alcoholic beverage sale regulationsÆ. First the City does not require
the applicant to Ðll out a ÅSubmittal ChecklistÆ nor has it codiÐed a ÅPublic Convenience and
Necessity PolicyÆ. Without the latter two requirements, all decisions approving or denying outlets for
both on-site and off-site alcohol sales are purely discretionary (and sometimes inconsistent or
arbitrary). Instead follow the best practices of three other California cities. For example, grant a Type
47 license through the CUP process if it is proven that doing so would not Åcause deterioration of
bordering land uses or create special problems for the area in which it is locatedÆ (see City of
Orange). The Police Department should recommend denial of an applicantÈs request for a Type 47
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license if the crime rate within that census district is increasing (see City of La Palma). And
Ðnally, grant a CUP for any restaurant that wants to sell alcoholic beverages (i.e., any Type 41 or 47
alcohol outlet) on the condition that the City can exercise local control over where alcohol outlets
may operate (see City of Vallejo). Thank you!
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Note below that, according to ÅDashboardÆ, the crime rate in Downtown has tabled off over the past year - with
the exception of noise complaints - but is still signiÐcantly higher than over the period of April 2015 - April 2016.
Our understanding is that staff is showing a declining crime rate because they are conÐning their hours to 10:00 P.M.
to 2:00 A.M. and they are focussing their data on a smaller area of downtown. However, alcohol-related offenses are
committed at all hours of the day and bar activity bleeds out over a much larger area - to include all of
Neighborhood 5.
__________________________________________________________________
Source: ÅDashboardÆ (see http://comstat.slocity.org/dashboard/Incidents/)
Downtown April 14, 2015toApril 13, 2016 toJan. 23, 2017 to
Neighborhood 5April 12, 2016April 17, 2017Jan. 22, 2018
Non-Aggravated
Assault 156046
Alcohol Offenses 308554502
Sexual Assault 71612
Party Noise 213139
Aggravated 102217
Assault
Property Theft 91197185