Alcohol meeting draws few students

Business owners, neighborhood residents and UW officials spoke at last night's Seattle City Council public hearing on proposals to restrict alcohol sales in parts of the U-District. Many speakers supported the proposal; student attendance was poor.

If passed by the Council, the proposal would designate part of the U-District an Alcohol Impact Area (AIA), limiting the hours of sales or restricting sales of certain kinds of alcohol.

The proposed U-District AIA extends two blocks east of Interstate 5 to 15th Avenue Northeast and from south of Northeast Ravenna Boulevard to North Northlake Way. In addition to the U-District, Capitol Hill and other parts of Central Seattle will face similar restrictions.

The finer points of the bill have not been determined, but according to Neighborhood District Coordinator Gary Johnson, the restrictions will affect businesses that sell "portable drinks," such as grocery chains and gas stations.

After the first of the year, the Council will vote on recommending voluntary restrictions, according to Gary Johnson.

At the end of the six-month voluntary period, the Department of Neighborhoods (DON) and the Seattle Police Department will evaluate crime statistics in the area.

If voluntary restrictions were unsuccessful in reducing public inebriation, the City will advise the state Liquor Control Board to require restrictions.

"The city Council can always go back and look and decide the proposal is not working so they have nothing to loose if they pass it," said Karen Ko, director of the U-District branch of the DON.

Although the bill was introduced two weeks after the Sept. 28 riot in the U-District, city officials say the two events are unrelated.

"[The riot] is a separate issue," said Ko. "The alcohol restrictions address the issue of chronic inebriation."

Adopting the restrictions would improve the business climate in the area, according to Theresa Doherty, president-elect of the Greater University Chamber of Commerce.

"These proposals are important in helping business," Doherty said prior to the hearing. "Businesses fail because people do not feel safe coming to the area."

Doherty is also assistant vice president for Regional Affairs at the UW.

Vicki Peltzer, UW Police Department chief, said at last night's hearing that restricting alcohol sales would make the area safer.

"We know it's not a panacea to the problem," Peltzer said after the hearing. "(However) it will bolster efforts of the UWPD."

On the other hand, Matthew Fox, president of the U-District Community Council, argued last night that the proposed area is too large.

"People who have chosen a lifestyle to drink themselves to death are not going to be affected by this at all," said Fox. "You'll simply affect their brand loyalty or how far they're willing to walk to get beer."