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Town council considers lack of night life on boulevard
By Gloria I. Wang
Downtown Los Gatos has a healthy, active night life while other areas--particularly Los Gatos Boulevard--do not.
That's what the Los Gatos Town Council concluded at a recent study session on the town's alcohol beverage policy. The study session, meant for council members to voice opinions regarding the current policy, did not result in any kind of decision. Discussion was not limited to the policy; council members also touched on topics involving entertainment and dining establishments.
"I really think we have the responsibility to inject life into different areas," Councilman Randy Attaway said at the July 2 meeting.
Attaway said that the town has never concentrated on businesses in the Los Gatos Boulevard area, instead focusing all of its outreach energies on the downtown area. The town has only reacted to applications outside of downtown, but has not actively pursued appropriate businesses to fill vacant space, Attaway said. He mentioned the possibility of offering incentives to get certain businesses into the boulevard area.
"I do believe that the boulevard needs enhancement," Mayor Joe Pirzynski said. "The fact that it shuts down pretty much at sundown isn't good for us." Pirzynski suggested that buildings that become vacant be turned into restaurants and other retail establishments, instead of offices.
Councilwoman Sandy Decker offered up the idea of creating specific-use regions in the rest of the town, such as limiting the businesses in a certain area to "high-quality dining with entertainment."
In response, Community Development Director Bud Lortz said that, in the past, the town council has passed area-specific regulations, such as with Los Gatos Lodge. Lortz said that town staff could come up with particular uses for particular regions.
"Enhancing" Los Gatos Boulevard would have potential negative effects, however, Pirzynski said. According to Pirzynski, Jack in the Box, one of the late-night eateries on the street, receives noise complaints from neighbors and kids hanging out in the parking lot late at night. If changes are made in the area, Pirzynski said, the boulevard neighbors should not be affected.
Because Los Gatos Boulevard is not as pedestrian-friendly as downtown, Glickman warned that drinking and driving could be a potential problem in the boulevard area. Glickman said that he would prefer eating establishments that served beer and wine rather than ones offering full liquor service.
Los Gatos-Monte Sereno Police Chief Larry Todd pointed out that a serving of beer often has the same amount of alcohol as a mixed drink. Nonetheless, Attaway said the difference in alcohol service can create a different drinking environment. Attaway mentioned the California Café as an example of a place where patrons drink with their meal versus bars where he's seen young customers encouraged to drink several shots of liquor.
Glickman also expressed his desire to see minimal changes in the Los Gatos social scene. He commended town officials for decreasing the number of stand-alone bars--where alcohol is the specialty and no formal meals are served--in the downtown area, and approving alcohol licenses only for restaurants serving food. Glickman said, however, that he wanted to see more "low-key club venues" like the King's Head Pub in Campbell and Blue Rock Shoot in Saratoga--places where patrons can order a drink while they listen to live music.
"I'm certainly no advocate of stand-alone bars," Glickman said. "I would like to have more of an appropriate club scene ... where the emphasis is on music, not alcohol."
The other council members said they did not want to form an "entertainment row" and were satisfied with the current state of entertainment in the town. Pirzynski pointed out that the Wine Cellar is planning on reintroducing live music.
Procedural concerns were also discussed. Council members suggested ways to specify the language in the current alcohol beverage policy and in conditional-use permits, which are issued to alcohol-serving establishments.
Businesses that wish to apply for an alcohol license or change their license from beer and wine only to full liquor must bring an application to the town's planning commission. If the commission denies them the license, applicants are allowed to appeal the decision to the town council.
At the study session, council members agreed that both planning commissioners and the town council needed to hear each application. A new process would be formed, perhaps with planning commissioners making a recommendation for a decision to the town council, with council members having the final say.
Staff members also took suggestions on how often to review conditional-use permits for enforcement purposes. Attaway proposed a review one-year after the initial approval, and perhaps every two or three years thereafter. With time, compliance with the town's rules could lead to a "loosening up" of those rules. Attaway used the example of the Los Gatos Brewing Company--the town allowed the restaurant's hours of operation to be increased because it was a "good neighbor."
According to Chief Todd, changing an alcohol license from beer and wine to a full liquor license costs $12,500 to enter a countywide lottery for a license, or $50,000 to $100,000 to purchase a license from an existing establishment. In contrast, obtaining a beer and wine license costs $1,000.
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Los Gatos, California Since 1881
