|
|
|
 |
Memorandum
TO: Mayor Steve Burkholder
Lakewood City Council
FROM: Janet Young, Deputy City Attorney
Office of the City Attorney
DATE: June 9, 2004
SUBJECT: Licensing of Non-Alcoholic Dance Clubs
The police department is proposing that an ordinance be presented to City Council that would regulate both teen clubs and after-hours clubs by requiring such business establishments to obtain a non-alcoholic dance club license. The City of Lakewood does not currently license teen clubs, dance clubs, or after-hours clubs that either do not serve alcoholic beverages or do not qualify as an adult business. Since such clubs do not serve alcohol, they are not subject to liquor licensing laws and therefore are more difficult to monitor and control. In recent years, two such clubs were operated in the City: Decades Nightclub located at 1650 North Wadsworth Boulevard, and Club Pulse located at 3265 South Wadsworth Boulevard. Neither business is currently operating in the City. Club Pulse went out of business in 2002 and Decades Nightclub was recently closed due to urban renewal.
Non-alcoholic teen dance clubs bring unique problems relating to safety and law enforcement issues. In Lakewood such problems have run the gamut from possession of alcohol, to fights between patrons, and ultimately shootings involving juvenile patrons. The problems associated with these clubs generally emanate from oversized troublesome crowds. As a result such businesses create a disproportionate number of police calls, create traffic, noise and parking problems, and negatively impact nearby businesses and residences. Correspondingly, such businesses require increased levels of police services.
Non-alcoholic after-hours clubs customarily attract large numbers of patrons at late hours, many of these customers have been consuming alcoholic beverages and come to the non-alcoholic dance club only after liquor establishments have closed. Due to the late hours such businesses operate, noise violations are particularly annoying to neighboring residents.
The proposed ordinance would:
1. Restrict the age of patrons prior to the hour of midnight to persons who reached the ages of thirteen to twenty. After midnight, person who are eighteen years of age and older could remain in the business until six o'clock (6:00) a.m., while juvenile patrons would have to exit the premises of the non-alcoholic dance club.
2. Establish a licensing authority and licensing scheme for non-alcoholic dance clubs. All applicants for such licenses must apply with the City Clerk and must be investigated by the Lakewood Police Department to determine whether they have been convicted of any disqualifying criminal act.
3. Provide for annual license renewals and fees.
4. Provide for registration of managers and transfers of ownerships of a non-alcoholic dance club license.
5. Restrict the hours of operation to between twelve o'clock (12:00) p.m. (noon) and six o'clock (6:00) a.m.
6. Prohibit certain acts inside the business or upon any parking areas, sidewalks or grounds immediately adjacent to the licensed premises including noise violations, fights, possession of alcohol or drugs or acts of public indecency.
7. Require the licensee to report to the police department any disorderly conduct or other criminal violations occurring on the premises, in the parking lot, or the grounds immediately adjacent to the licensed premises
8. Prohibit the admission into any club of persons who are visibly intoxicated.
9. Establish procedures for the suspension or revocation of a license by the Lakewood Liquor and Fermented Malt Beverage Licensing Authority.
10. Grant police and firefighters the right to conduct routine inspections during business hours.
11. Exempt from the licensing requirements certain events such as those operated by religious organizations or dances, proms, and other social gatherings intended for students, organized and operated by public or private schools.
12. Exempt recreation centers, community centers, public libraries, public schools, and other publicly owned facilities, along with places of worship from the licensing requirements.
/ljm
 |
||
Americans with Disability Act (ADA) Notice |
||
