LOWELL — Six months of meetings regarding tightening the city’s liquor-license regulations resulted in no action Thursday night, as the License Commission did not vote to either adopt or reject proposed new regulations.
During the two-hour hearing, four downtown residents spoke in favor of the changes, which included:
* Not allowing patrons to enter or re-enter an establishment one hour before the establishment’s closing time.
* Ending all entertainment (live bands, jukeboxes, DJs, televisions and radios) one hour before closing time.
* Not allowing any special events involving or targeting patrons 18 to 20.
* Not serving any alcohol 30 minutes before closing time.
More than a dozen bar owners and workers spoke in opposition to the changes, saying the restrictions would severely limit their ability to make a living.
“The vast majority of establishments would be crippled by these new regulations, crippled or put out of business,” said Blue Shamrock owner Nick Petrakos.
License Commissioner Brian Akashian made a motion to approve the proposed regulations, changing the end of the entertainment and the entry times from one hour to 45 minutes before closing. His motion died for lack of a second. He then moved to adjourn, a motion that was passed unanimously.
“I’m disappointed the License Commission has chosen to ignore the recommendations of the Police Department and the City Council,” City Councilor Bill Martin said after the meeting, adding several bar owners already voluntarily comply, but “the commission has decided to side with the owners who are the problem, not those who are the solution.”
For more on this story, see Friday’s Sun or visit http://www.lowellsun.com
