Morning Fizz
A Strong Majority Supported Extending Bar Hours
Last night, at the historic Washington Hall in the Central District, Mayor Mike McGinn gave staffers (and a few members of the press) an update on his eight-point nightlife initiative, intended to make the city more hospitable to nightlife.
But first, there was a spoken-word performance about the importance of blues by local artist Stormy Webber, and a hip-hop performance by Santonio Bandanas and his break-dancing son (whose moves, sadly, were too fast for Fizz's camera to capture):
McGinn acknowledged that the two biggest goals of the nightlife initiative---later bar hours and more late-night transit options---remain elusive. Bar hours are set by the state liquor control board, which hasn't shown much interest in extending them past the current limit of 2 am, and King County Metro is currently cutting service, not expanding it.
McGinn said that of around 2,400 Seattle residents who commented on the nightlife initiative, a strong majority supported extending bar hours past 2 am, which McGinn has argued will improve public safety (because hundreds of drunk people won't be on the streets at the same time). "As our city evolves… there's an expectation that our service hours and how late we can stay out at night will evolve as well," McGinn said. However, he acknowledged that changing the state rules could be a "years-long" process. "We understand that this may be an issue that takes while to resolve because everyone's questions and concerns will need to be addressed."
As for late-night transportation options, McGinn acknowledged that Metro is shrinking, not expanding, and said that as long as that's the case, he'll support expanding the number of taxi stands in the city, publicizing Metro's little-known existing late-night service, and extending parking-meter hours so that if a driver parks at a meter at night and then decides he shouldn't drive home, he can pay for parking through the next morning instead of getting a ticket. "Some people have called it the liquor sticker," McGinn said.
McGinn also announced that the city is adopting stricter noise standards---it's now against city rules to have amplified noise above 80 decibels at night, rather than the 65-decibel standard the city initially considered---and that, as a condition of getting a liquor license, all bars and clubs will have to go through city-sponsored security training.
But first, there was a spoken-word performance about the importance of blues by local artist Stormy Webber, and a hip-hop performance by Santonio Bandanas and his break-dancing son (whose moves, sadly, were too fast for Fizz's camera to capture):
McGinn acknowledged that the two biggest goals of the nightlife initiative---later bar hours and more late-night transit options---remain elusive. Bar hours are set by the state liquor control board, which hasn't shown much interest in extending them past the current limit of 2 am, and King County Metro is currently cutting service, not expanding it.
McGinn said that of around 2,400 Seattle residents who commented on the nightlife initiative, a strong majority supported extending bar hours past 2 am, which McGinn has argued will improve public safety (because hundreds of drunk people won't be on the streets at the same time). "As our city evolves… there's an expectation that our service hours and how late we can stay out at night will evolve as well," McGinn said. However, he acknowledged that changing the state rules could be a "years-long" process. "We understand that this may be an issue that takes while to resolve because everyone's questions and concerns will need to be addressed."
As for late-night transportation options, McGinn acknowledged that Metro is shrinking, not expanding, and said that as long as that's the case, he'll support expanding the number of taxi stands in the city, publicizing Metro's little-known existing late-night service, and extending parking-meter hours so that if a driver parks at a meter at night and then decides he shouldn't drive home, he can pay for parking through the next morning instead of getting a ticket. "Some people have called it the liquor sticker," McGinn said.
McGinn also announced that the city is adopting stricter noise standards---it's now against city rules to have amplified noise above 80 decibels at night, rather than the 65-decibel standard the city initially considered---and that, as a condition of getting a liquor license, all bars and clubs will have to go through city-sponsored security training.
