It looks like Delegate Nathaniel Oaks introduced this bill for the benefit of adult entertainment establishments.You can read more about the Baltimore City – Alcoholic Beverages Establishments – Weekend Closing Hours Bill (House Bill 429) here and here. A summary of House Bill 429 is below:
“This bill extends the hours that alcoholic beverages may be sold in certain licensed establishments in Baltimore City from 2 a.m. until 3 a.m. on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. Eligible establishments must hold either a Class B-D-7 license or a Class B beer, wine, and liquor license. In addition, the establishments must have been issued an adult entertainment permit from the city or be located in a specified area of Baltimore City near the Inner Harbor. The bill also allows individuals to consume alcoholic beverages on the premises of these establishments until 4 a.m.
The bill takes effect July 1, 2010.”
I support extending drinking hours in non-residential areas, but this bill is clearly flawed (and adult entertainment-centric). I see no point in rewarding every strip club in Baltimore (no matter where they are located) with later drinking hours. It is not going to pass. This bill would extend drinking hours in many bars in Federal Hill (a residential neighborhood). That area is already saturated with drunks on the weekends and it does not need such a spark to increase business. It will only be a nuisance there. A proper drinking hours extension bill should not include areas like Federal Hill and it should create a new variation of the BD-7 license that establishments would have to purchase that could easily be revoked with citizen protest. Extended drinking hours is a privileged that establishments should pay for and that the city and state should profit from.
Any future bill should continue to focus around the Harbor, but it should also look at other parts of the city where extended drinking hours would create economic development opportunities (a new 4AM entertainment zone in a now industrial part of Baltimore?).
I think it is positive that extended drinking hours are at least being discussed in the House of Delegates. It’s better than trying to make money off of slots.
If you are wondering why this bill has an excessive adult entertainment provision it in…
| Candidates Account | Contributor Name(Address) | Amount | Date Received | Contribution Type |
| Oaks, Nathaniel Committee To Re-Elect | Eldorado Lounge, Inc
(4100 E. Lombard Street , Baltimore, MD, 21224) |
$200.00 | 10/20/2009 | Business Entity
Remarks: fundraiser |
| Oaks, Nathaniel Committee To Re-Elect | Eldorado Lounge, Inc
(4100 E. Lombard Street , Baltimore, MD, 21224) |
$500.00 | 10/19/2008 | Business Entity
Remarks: contribution |
| Oaks, Nathaniel Committee To Re-Elect | Eldorado Lounge, Inc
(4100 E. Lombard Street , Baltimore, MD, 21224) |
$1,000.00 | 01/08/2007 | Ticket purchases by Business Entity
Remarks: donation |
| Oaks, Nathaniel Committee To Re-Elect | Eldorado Lounge
( 4100 E. Lombard St., Baltimore, MD, 21224) |
$500.00 | 10/26/2004 | Ticket purchases by Business Entity
Remarks: donation |
Adam is the most recognizable face of the recent resurgence in Reservoir Hill. He has appeared on many national and local radio shows, in several news publications, and at numerous events discussing his innovative urban redevelopment ideas and his unique lifestyle. Adam is a successful entrepreneur, community activist, and a local political guru who ran for city council in 2007. He is the founder and director of the TechBalt.com Buy a Block Project and BaltimoreHourly.com. His fearless local political commentary has rocked the local blog scene for most of this decade and he plans to take it to the next level in the next decade here on Charm City Current.
@30: Are you serious??? I swear, Baltimore trips over themselves every single day when it comes to issues like this. You want what you want, but when it directly affects you, you want to quickly forget about it and block it. Not In My Backyard strikes again. Can Baltimore finally be a modern city, and not a country poseur? 2am is not nearly late enough for clubs, especially when DC clubs close from 1-2 hours LATER???? So… You would have DC just keep getting the money that SHOULD be going to Baltimore just because your life sucks? C’mon, now…
And masters they did serve….That is why our young pple need to vote! Get these old pple out of office that cant stand change. There are many professional people in B-more that want to party without going to DC or Philly or ATLCTY!
What people dont understand is that this bill would eliminate people rushing to get last call in. Most cities that have later hours of service dont have anywhere near the trouble or violence Baltimore has with late night binge drinking. Think about this one example…People would not be rushed to start their night, this would allow for people to eat properly before heading out. Ive never met a person who hasent made the choice to skip eating at least once to hit the bars earlier. We know what occures when this happens, Ive done it and try not to as much as I can.
To 30 floors up… I think all those Sirens, hospitals, police and drunken patrons of the powerplant were there before you decided to move in that building. Its called doing your due diligence. Your made a poor decision and now everybody should be as miserable as you, sure.
I live in Federal Hill, I grew up when the drinking age was 18… I dont think my generation turned out to bad. Teaching responsibility as well as allowing for it does wonders.
Fortunately, this bill got killed today – so much opposition, especially from the delegate’s that represent the area. If done correctly, to attract high-end establishments, it would have sailed through. But, some have masters to serve…
Cro- \25th St east of Loch Raven Blvd\ would be perfect for that type of zoning! Nice thinking.
I think a fine grain late night zoning downtown, block by block, might be the way to go. This way residential blocks can be avoided and purely commercial/office blocks be included.
The other area that could work is the light industrial/warehouse type areas. Perhaps along Pulaski Highway and Carroll/Camden? Or E. 25th St east of Loch Raven Blvd?
Downtown has 40,000 people living in it. In fact, there are 315 condominium units that share the same square block at “The Block”. I happen to live in one of those units.
The city should be trying to keep the small number of middle class residents they have without driving them out by extending drinking hours. Between the helicopters that land on the police headquarters roof, Mercy hospital ambulance sirens, Central District police car sirens, drunken block patrons, and drunken Power Plant Live patrons, it is a wonder anyone who lives downtown gets ANY sleep at all.