LPA discusses potential earlier Beach business shut-down times
Despite several rumors circling the island lately regarding early shut-down times for beach businesses, according to Local Planning Agency member and former Beach mayor Bill Van Duzer, that is all just hearsay.
Van Duzer and other members of the LPA are currently in the discussion phase of the dilemma, coming up with alternate ways to keep everyone happy.
Van Duzer said the Fort Myers Beach Town Council recently came to the LPA, asking the group to take a look at the Alcoholic Beverage ordinance and the Sexually Oriented Business ordinance, along with a couple others.
“What we actually had was an administrative agenda, and we discussed possible changes to the S.O.B. ordinance and Alcoholic Beverage ordinance,” said Van Duzer. “In the ordinance, it was recommended (all beach-incorporated businesses) have last call be at 11:30 p.m. Sunday through Thursday, 1 a.m. Friday and Saturday night, and service discontinued an hour later: 12:30 a.m. Sunday through Thursday and 2 a.m. Friday and Saturday. But, there are lots of things that need to be considered.”
Currently, Bill said inside entertainment within a beach establishment is unlimited, with business owners deciding when to shut down the music. However, outdoor entertainment is suggested to end around 9 p.m. Sunday through Thursday; 10 p.m. Friday and Saturday.
“My recommendation was to take out the last-call all together, leave that up to the facility owner, and I recommended they change the 12:30 a.m. (discontinued service) to 1 a.m., except Friday and Saturday nights.”
Van Duzer said the downtown area of Fort Myers Beach may have a separate consideration. Again, everything is in the “discussion phase,” at this point.
“Bottom line, I want to be fair to everybody -the businesses and the residents- which is why I’m in favor of having a different area of classification for the downtown area,” he said. “That makes more sense to me.”
As this issue is still within the early stages of development, Bill said the public will have plenty of opportunities to speak their minds on the subject and put their two cents in, once some kind of decision has been made among the LPA both at upcoming its meetings and again at town council meetings, when the LPA’s decision has been passed back to the council.
The subject will be brought back up at an upcoming LPA meeting within the next month or two.
“All is in the discussion stage, as far as this point,” Van Duzer concluded.