Les Amis New Years 2024
The recent noise ordinance proposed by the Fullerton City Council raises serious concerns for the local small business community. By imposing a strict cut-off for outdoor entertainment at 10 pm, the council is effectively stifling the potential for growth and profitability that many small businesses rely on, especially those in the hospitality and entertainment sectors.
While it’s essential to consider the quality of life for residents, this ordinance comes off as oppressive rather than balanced. Many small businesses thrive during evening hours, particularly in a city like Fullerton that markets itself as a vibrant destination for nightlife and social gatherings. The decision to limit outdoor entertainment to such early hours is a misguided attempt at regulation that hampers business viability and dissuades potential customers looking for post-dinner activities.
Moreover, the requirement for restaurants to obtain administrative use permits adds yet another layer of bureaucratic red tape that small businesses can ill afford. The financial and logistical burden of compliance can be overwhelming, particularly for those already navigating the challenges of operating in a post-pandemic economy. Instead of fostering a supportive environment, the council’s current approach feels punitive and risks driving small businesses — already vulnerable — further into hardship.
While the council claims to be enhancing transparency and accountability, the stringent noise levels and potential for revocation of entertainment permits create a climate of fear. Rather than encouraging entrepreneurship, this ordinance could push small business owners to reconsider their investment in the community altogether, leading to a stagnation of creativity and economic vibrancy in Fullerton.
In essence, this noise ordinance seems less about finding a reasonable compromise and more about imposing unnecessary restrictions that could ultimately harm those very businesses that contribute to the local economy. The council should reconsider its approach and engage in more meaningful dialogue with small business owners to craft regulations that support rather than hinder their success.
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Categories: Community Voices, Downtown, Local Business, Local Government, Local News
Cutting off live outdoor music at 10:00 pm (isn’t it 11:00 pm on weekends?) isn’t a “reasonable compromise?” How late (early) would be reasonable? Who is going to go broke if they can’t have an amplified band playing outdoors at midnight, or 2:00 am downtown?
And who decided that Fullerton “markets itself as a vibrant destination for nightlife and social gatherings?” Is downtown still costing the taxpayers a million dollars every year, as the Observer first reported oh so many years ago?
Response from Editor Saskia Kennedy: Being a vibrant destination for nightlife and social gatherings does not mean there is no consequence. True the restaurant overlay district does not bring the revenue in to offset the cost of clean up. They are not mutually exclusive. In 2008, then City Manager Chris Meyer assembled the Downtown Working Group composed of all department heads plus extra audit personnel to investigate costs within the ROD. The group reported results of the audit to the City Council showing the cost to the City (taxpayers) for extra policing and clean-up downtown was $935,000 over and above the sales taxes collected and that due to higher crimes in the area, more policing was needed. New officers were hired for that purpose, bringing the cost to $1.6 million per year. A more recent audit has not been done.
If I’m not mistaken, the special police unit created to address downtown problems was later expanded, so I would expect that a more recent audit would show an even higher cost to the city for our “vibrant” downtown (extra points to readers who can identity the former council member who championed that term).
I live near downtown and have never been bothered by music. It’s interesting that comments about music “noise” being a problem isn’t coming from residents living around downtown. And musicians and small business owners are – for the most part – also residents.
Does the city have data on how many residents in the downtown area are affected? What percentage are against and what percentage are for music at downtown venues? Our downtown is vibrant, and does attract out-of-towners. Part of the charm is live music. 10 p.m. seems extreme.
10:00 pm inside or outside?