Madison city leaders are considering preliminary proposals to the city’s current alcohol license density ordinance set to expire on April 1. The new plans are designed to encourage late-night entertainment in areas of the city where growth is currently banned.
The current ordinance restricts the addition of new bars within the downtown area, according to Ald. Mike Verveer, District 4. The ordinance was originally created in 2007 due to excessive complaints about alcohol-related disturbances.
“From a student’s perspective, the current law is controversial because it limits the opportunity for additional campus bars,” Verveer said.
According to Verveer, the disturbances still exist but there are significantly fewer complaints made to city representatives since the passage of the alcohol license density ordinance, also known as ALDO, in 2007.
Verveer said he and Ald. Shiva Bidar-Sielaff, District 5, presented city Council with numerous plans for the new alcohol licensing ordinance.
The most significant change presented to the council involves shrinking the ALDO footprint from the entire downtown area to a few blocks closer to campus.
According to Verveer, the new ordinance would span the 500 and 600 blocks of State Street and the 600 block of University Avenue. The two blocks would be connected by North Lake Street on the east of the block and West Gilman to the west side of the blocks.
Verveer said since most police service calls are “concentrated in that area,” minimizing the ordinance location prevents excessive law enforcement precautions.
Perspective bar owners would not be permitted to create new taverns in the proposed areas unless they are replacing existing taverns. Current bars or nightclubs would be grandfathered in, leaving them exempt from new approval processes, according to Verveer.
The new proposal would also require inquiring nightclub owners to receive a conditional use permit from the city’s Plan Commission and approval from the Alcohol License Review Committee and city Council. Nightclubs would not be prohibited within the new proposal’s limits.
“That’s a nod to encourage more venues to allow 18+ entertainment offerings,” Verveer said.
City representatives plan to extend the current ALDO to allow the new plan to take effect July 1, when the annual liquor license year begins.
