The Alcohol License Review Subcommittee on Downtown Alcohol Issues and Ordinances repealed the 365-day limit on finding a new tenant if property owners would like to retain their liquor licenses Thursday.
This section of the Alcohol License Density Ordinance has been repealed temporarily and will be discussed again in October when ALDO is due to expire.
Business owners have been outspoken about the time restriction because they claim it restricts the quality and number of tenants. Several have stated the poor economy is also detrimental to finding the right tenant early because it is harder for businesses to secure finances.
""I think there has been plenty of testimony between our last meeting that landlords and commercial realtors need more time to find appropriate, suitable tenants,"" a board member said. ""They work hard, they want the right tenants.""
Overall, the circumstances of the 365-day time limit disabled property owners for performing their jobs with desireable adequacy.
The exceptional circumstances section of ALDO was discussed extensively as well, but no conclusion was made. Business owners claim that ALDO gives limited opportunity for new forms of entertainment to arise, such as bowling alleys and cinemas in the downtown area.
""National clients are not welcomed warmly in Madison like they are in other places,"" John Berg, commercial realtor, said.
A major controversy lays in what percentage of alcohol sales should be allowed in these venues to be considered ""exceptional circumstances."" The subcommittee discussed the possibility of a window of leniency for the board's discretion in regards to alcohol sales.
A benchmark number on sales as well as further policy will be discussed in the next meeting.
