Extending ‘last call' in Atlanta gets support from some residents

By Eric Stirgus

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Should "last call" for alcohol be 2:30 a.m. or 4 a.m. in the city of Atlanta?

Later, said nearly all of the two dozen people who spoke during a public hearing on the topic at City Hall Monday evening.

Councilman Kwanza Hall introduced legislation last week requesting the city study the economic benefits of returning to the days when alcohol was poured until 4 a.m. in the city. The city changed the rules in 2003. Hall said any additional funding from extending the hours could be used to pay for more public safety.

"It can be done effectively if thought is put into it," said Buckhead resident Jada Ballard, who added that off-duty police officers could be paid to provide security at the establishments.

Midtown resident Jim Lyons, 62, opposed the study.

"I don't believe it's going to do our quality of life any good to extend the bar hours," he said.

About 60 people showed up at the 80-minute public hearing. Some were young. Some were bar owners and service-industry employees who argued in favor of the idea, saying Atlanta needs longer hours if it is to be a world-class city. Many live in Castleberry Hill, the central Atlanta neighborhood that has become a hub for nightlife in the city in recent years.

Mayor Shirley Franklin, City Council President Lisa Borders and Councilman Howard Shook, who arranged Monday's hearing, each oppose the idea. They say it will put an additional burden on police officers. Borders said Monday she believes there is a correlation between late-night nightlife and crime.

Atlanta police Sgt. Scott Kreher, head of the city's largest police union, said he has reservations about the idea.

"[Hall] would have to show me how he would earmark that to the police department," Kreher said in an interview. "[The idea] is going to put more stress on the police department."

Atlanta rolled back the hours from 4 a.m. to 2:30 a.m. in December 2003. City leaders made the changes in response to citizen complaints, particularly in the Buckhead Village area, of unruly patrons making noise in residential areas and causing crime. Violence outside some clubs, such as the 2000 stabbing involving football star Ray Lewis that left two men dead, also swayed city leaders.

Several major cities -- such as Boston, Charlotte and Philadelphia -- order "last call" at 2 a.m. In Boston, a group of frustrated nightclub owners and promoters began a campaign last month to extend the hours when alcohol is served.

Locally, College Park, East Point and Sandy Springs require bars and restaurants to stop serving alcohol at 2 a.m.

In DeKalb, county officials butted heads last year over a proposal to roll back hours in unincorporated portions of the county from 4 a.m. to 2:30 a.m. The commissioners voted 4-3 in favor of the changes. Vernon Jones, then chief executive officer, vetoed the legislation, saying it would reduce the county's take from the 3 percent tax on alcohol sales.

Many speakers said during Monday's hearing that the city should consider allowing more entertainment districts where liquor can be served until 4 a.m. The city currently has such a district at Underground Atlanta.

Hall said he was encouraged by the hearing.

"It's going to require a lot of input," he said of any changes. "It's going to have to be framed in a very thoughtful way."

The council may decide whether to approve the study next month.