Pine Avenue in downtown Long Beach. Photo credit: Google Maps.
12:32pm | Long Beach Post has obtained a draft of a memorandum from Vice-Mayor Suja Lowenthal proposing to “amend the Conditions of Operation for the Downtown Dining and Entertainment District.”
Among the proposed conditions contained in the undated memo to Mayor Bob Foster and Lowenthal’s council colleagues is a prohibition of “[o]utdoor music on patios and rooftops … except in conjunction with special events or occasional events permits”; and the requirement that “[a]ll doors and windows shall remain closed wherever entertainment is being provided, except for normal ingress and egress and in case of an emergency.”
An amendment not included in the Lowenthal memo but verified by multiple sources as being under consideration is a requirement that all Pine Avenue establishments close their patios by midnight.
Not all Pine Avenue businesses are aware of the proposals, but those that are generally voice the same concern: such proposal will stifle the downtown nightlife.
“A lot of our restaurant is music,” says Becky Enam, manager of Johnny Rockets, known as much for the 1950s and ’60s hits that emanate are broadcast by the diner both indoors and out as it is for its hamburgers and milkshakes. “Without this music it’s not Johnny Rockets.”
Enam admits not being familiar with all aspects of the proposal, but the impression she has is that they will needlessly damage the dining and entertainment core of Lowenthal’s Second District.
“We never have any problems,” Enam says against an aural backdrop of Van Morrison’s “Brown Eyed Girl.” “I understand if it’s a loud music it might disturb people, but this isn’t even loud. Besides, we’re downtown; we’re Downtown Long Beach. … [This] is the nature of this part of the [Pine Avenue]. If they take it from here, it’s going to be dead. Why do people come here? They come here for the music, they come here for the entertainment — and sound background is part of it.”
Unlike Enam, Baron Moseley, who manages Shannon’s on Pine, says he is very aware of the details of what Lowenthal seems to have in mind, having attended several Downtown Long Beach Associates meeting where the topic has been discussed, including with Lowenthal herself in attendance. And while he completely supports dealing with over-loud businesses on a case-by-case basis, he sees Lowenthal as intending to go down a different — and economically destructive — road.
“There are some things [Lowenthal is proposing] that don’t make a lot of sense, like closing patios at midnight, strange things like that. … To [presume] that because people are sitting outdoors on the patio that there’s going to be noise or trouble … doesn’t make a lot of sense. … If you’re not making [excessive] noise, I don’t see the point. But if you’re making noise, well, we have tons of wonderful police on this street. And if our [patrons] are too loud, they can take step by … and see if we’re being well-behaved on the patio or not.”
As we sit at a high table in front of Shannon’s discussing the matter, Mosely concurs with my understanding that the open front door of Shannon’s allowing the music inside to reach us unimpeded would be prohibited if Lowenthal’s proposals are enacted.
“That [would be] absolutely — to me — unreasonable,” he says. “Current law is that if the noise can be heard in the middle of the street, it’s too loud. Well, if that’s the case, then I think the option is close the door … and we’d be happy to close the door. But otherwise, I mean, why? If it’s not a problem, we shouldn’t have to be shutting our doors. … And the cops do check. I’ve been with the police, they’ve told me stories about the sound checks. Sometimes they work out great, and sometimes they have to tell them to turn it down. So they do have a method to check. And that has to be the method, not, ‘Close the door.’ It need to be: if it’s too loud [according] to the sound check, fine.””
Mosely also takes exception with the manner in which he feels Lowenthal is putting forward her proposal. “The rumors are, these are plans someone wants to already instill, and we don’t understand why,” he says. “A lot of [Lowenthal’s proposal] was acceptable, and some of it needs to be negotiable — or at least discussed. But right now it looks like it’s being hinted and rumored to get a leg up on, ‘This is what we’re going to do’ versus ‘This is what we’re talking about doing. What should we do?’ … If they do something that kills the existing businesses [by disallowing] bars and restaurants to have music, you don’t want nightlife, then you know what? If you don’t have another plan, you’re going to destroy we have. We’re starting to build. But you’re going to kill it.”
Sonia Gomez, manager of Alegria Cocina Latina, agrees. “If you tell us all to shut our doors and pretend we don’t exist, then we are not going to exist,” she says. “There’s a vitality that needs to continue to happen down here. … This is a very lively area. It’s fun, definitely. … We can’t forget that this is a dining and entertainment district — dining, including outside, and entertainment. … No one wants to dominate; we just want to create an ambiance.”
These feelings, however, are not unanimous on Pine, as I did come across a couple supporting Lowenthal’s proposals. Neither of these establishments would be affected by Lowenthal’s proposal, and they declined to be identified.
Long Beach Post reached out to Vice-Mayor Lowenthal for this article, but her office declined to comment at this time.
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