Seattle Mayor Mike McGinn has announced a proposal for changing state policy to allow cities to allow extended service hours for Seattle nightlife. The plan is part of Seattle’s comprehensive Nightlife Initiative, which aims to maintain public safety and provide businesses with greater flexibility to adapt to the market demands of residents and visitors.
In a nutshell, McGinn’s plan is to stagger closing times at certain bars and clubs to ease the strain on police resources. As it is now, Seattle Police can be stretched thin at 2am when every bar & club lets out, especially in certain areas such as Belltown and Pioneer Square.
Plus, there’s only so much our local superheroes can do.
“We’ve talked to the public, we’ve talked to businesses, we’ve talked to neighbors, and this is something the community wants us to do,” said Mayor Mike McGinn
The City Council will hear the resolution in committee on July 19th and a vote to follow soon afterward. The rule change application will be submitted to the Washington State Liquor Control Board (LCB) by August 31st. The LCB then has 60 days to decide whether to initiate the rule making process, Mayor McGinn hopes to have extended service hours implemented in Seattle in 2012.
Whether or not this will affect much in Fremont remains to be seen. There are certainly areas of the city where such an initiative is more pressing, though that doesn’t mean we won’t see changes to closing times here as well.