ST. AUGUSTINE, Fla. — Tonight, St. Augustine city leaders are considering a proposed rule to change when bars and restaurants can serve alcohol. The city’s so-called “nightlife ordinance” would require a special permit to sell alcohol between midnight and 2:00 a.m.
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The version of the ordinance being considered tonight would also add the following requirements:
- A “last call” procedure stopping alcohol sales a half hour before close
- Enough security detail to handle and manage crowds going in and out of the bar or restaurant
- Limits on noise escaping the establishment past 10:00 PM on weekdays and 11:00 PM on weekends
The proposed rule is getting local bar workers fired up, like Ryan Dettra, who’s been the co-owner of the Ice Plant Bar for 10 years.
“I just think it opens the door for more problems,” Dettra says, “I really don’t think the city has thought it through.”
I went through the city’s data and found there would be 28 bars, breweries, and restaurants in St. Augustine the ordinance would affect if passed.
More than a dozen workers, owners, general managers, and more from these bars came to the city commission’s meeting tonight to protest the ordinance.
But the concerns surrounding the ordinance go beyond the bars. Local homeowners living in the city’s historic district and surrounding areas say St. Augustine’s nightlife has caused a headache for years.
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What’s top of mind for them: noise.
The city had a public meeting for the nightlife ordinance last month, which said bars and restaurants would have to keep all noise inside past 11:00 p.m. on the weekends.
Tonight’s version of the ordinance takes that restriction away, saying businesses affected by the rule would need to adhere to the city’s current noise ordinance.
Most homeowners speaking up about their concerns with the noise say what’s on the books now doesn’t work. Local bar owners, on the other hand, say these homeowners are out of touch with the changing city.
“They’re loud and they’re aggressive, but they’re certainly not representative of the city,” Dettra says.
The city’s ordinance doesn’t say how much it would cost bars and restaurants to get the special permit. But it requires bars and restaurants to renew the permit each year, should they receive one.
We reached out to city officials to see when the new rule might take effect if passed. They weren’t able to speak with us tonight.
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