Since the last time Morgan Hill’s city council discussed options
to curtail public safety related problems and nuisances associated
with alcohol, an event of the type that some noted might have
contributed to past issues has quietly passed.
Since the last time Morgan Hill’s city council discussed options to curtail public safety related problems and nuisances associated with alcohol, an event of the type that some noted might have contributed to past issues has quietly passed.
The council will conduct a workshop Wednesday to discuss the need for further action to regulate downtown Morgan Hill establishments that serve alcohol late into the evenings. The workshop will take place at 7 p.m. Wednesday at City Hall council chambers, 17555 Peak Ave.
Council members scheduled the workshop to take place after the Taste of Morgan Hill art and food festival by design. Some members of the public noted at previous meetings this summer that many of the recent violent, late-night incidents downtown occurred during weekends when special events drew thousands of visitors to the area.
The council is not scheduled to take any action at Wednesday’s workshop. One item they will discuss is the possible implementation of a “downtown alcohol policy” that would use zoning and land use guidelines to discourage new stand-alone bars from opening downtown, limit bar seating and require food sales at places licensed by the California Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control.
The policy was proposed earlier this year by a group of downtown residents who said the loitering, loud noise, violence, vandalism and public urination that occurs when intoxicated patrons empty into the streets when the bars close is an ongoing problem. The draft policy presented to the council is modeled after a similar policy implemented by the city of Campbell.
Downtown resident Laura Gonzalez-Escoto, who helped organize the Downtown Association and other residents who support the alcohol policy, said continuing the conversation with the council and city staff is key to promoting safety.
“I think we all agree there are certain behaviors that will not be tolerated,” Gonzalez-Escoto said. “I think it’s important that we have to be constantly vigilante.”
Also to be discussed at Wednesday’s workshop will be possible additional restrictions for permits granted to downtown events such as the Taste of Morgan Hill, Mushroom Mardi Gras and Independence Day.
A number of violent incidents have occurred around downtown bars during these events in recent months, including a shooting outside the site formerly occupied by Dirty’s Tap and Taco May 29 – the same weekend of the Mushroom Mardi Gras.
Also on May 9, during the weekend of the inaugural No Bull Barbecue Cookoff at the community center, a stabbing occurred near Monterey Road and Second Street. Both these incidents sent victims to hospital with life-threatening injuries, and police believe the suspects and victims had been patronizing one or more downtown bars before the incidents.
No suspects have been arrested.
Later that month, the ABC declined to renew the temporary alcohol license for Dirty’s due to the violent incidents reported nearby. The bar closed in June, and a new restaurant – Champs Family Bar and Grill – recently opened in the same spot. Police reports indicate fewer calls for service to the area in recent weeks.
