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Letter to the editor

Alcohol rules pass another round

City leaders hope the plan brings more pep downtown but not necessarily more bars.

By LORRI HELFAND, Times Staff Writer
Published October 31, 2007

LARGO - After a few fits and starts, the city is moving forward with plans to ease restrictions on establishments that serve alcohol downtown.

The goal, city leaders say, is to make downtown Largo more lively without encouraging wall-to-wall bars.

"I like the idea of having the entertainment, the nightlife, the business, the money flowing in, but I don't want the sleaze," City Commissioner Gay Gentry said.

Current rules generally require establishments that serve beer, wine or liquor to sell more food than alcohol.

The proposed rules would eliminate that requirement, allowing stand-alone bars and bars that sell some food in the West Bay Drive and Clearwater-Largo Road corridors.

But the changes would require such businesses to be at least 150 feet apart.

More than a year ago, city leaders agreed to change their rules to let alcohol flow more freely downtown.

Last month, commissioners seemed ready to make some changes, but decided to discuss the issue further after hearing from residents and police Chief Lester Aradi.

Now, with input from staff and the Largo/Mid-Pinellas Chamber of Commerce, city leaders have proposed new rules that are expected to be ready for the City Commission's initial approval within two to four weeks.

The city's existing rules do not allow standalone bars in downtown Largo. They do require downtown restaurants that serve hard liquor to have a special state license. That license requires the restaurants to have buildings covering at least 2,500 square feet and to earn at least 51 percent of their revenue from the sale of food and nonalcoholic beverages.

But Largo officials haven't enforced that requirement since commissioners decided to change the rules.

The proposed rules would eliminate the requirement for the special state restaurant license. Restaurants that did have the special state license would be free from the new distance restrictions. Thus, a new restaurant that has the special license could open between two existing bars that were 150 feet apart. But a new bar or a smaller restaurant that served drinks could not.

* * *

Largo's proposed rules also would address the serving of alcohol at certain public venues, like the library and Largo Central Park.

For example, you couldn't drink at city parks - except during events where alcohol sales had been approved in advance by the city manager.

At the library, the new rules would make official what is already being practiced. The city occasionally rents out the library's Jenkins Room for special events and fund raisers. At those events, alcohol is sometimes served in the Jenkins Room during library hours and in other areas after hours, officials say.

During a City Commission work session last week, Commissioner Mary Gray Black said she had received several calls from people concerned about alcohol in the library and at parks. But other city leaders say the city has yet to have any problems.

Black also suggested that the city manager base his decisions on a specific list of criteria. But some commissioners said doing so could cause problems if he rejected events for reasons not on the list.

"Once you put that criteria on paper then you've limited yourself to that criteria," Mayor Pat Gerard said.

Lorri Helfand can be reached at lorri@sptimes.com or 445-4155.

At a Glance

Proposed downtown alcohol rules

Out:

- A requirement that businesses that serve hard liquor have a special license from the state.

- A requirement that all places that serve wine, beer or liquor earn at least 51 percent of their money from food sales.

In:

- A 150-foot distance between stand-alone bars, small restaurants that serve alcohol and bars that serve some food.

[Last modified October 30, 2007, 22:59:20]