ST. AUGUSTINE, Fla. — A new law could be on the way for the Nation's Oldest City. St. Augustine city leaders are looking into a nightlife ordinance that would impact bars and restaurants downtown.
It’s not hard to find a night cap in St. Augustine on a weekend, but a proposed law could make it more difficult for businesses to pour that glass.
“If you’re a live music fan like I am, this is the place to go," said Robbie Bumpers, who was visiting St. Augustine from Middleburg. "The later in the evening you can find it, the happier I am.”
Bumpers says as much as he loves living in Middleburg, the nightlife isn’t exactly one of its strong suits.
So, he finds himself in St. Augustine all the time, soaking in as much live music as possible.
“I like the fact that the establishments in St. Augustine can stay open later," said Bumpers. "I think the longer places are open, the more entertainment you can squeeze into that.”
Bumpers may have to squeeze that entertainment into a tighter window if a new law is passed.
A nightlife ordinance says the city of St. Augustine has received a number of complaints about some alcohol beverage establishments, and increased law enforcement costs from alcohol sales after midnight.
That ordinance would:
- Require businesses to get a special permit to serve alcohol after midnight
- Require those businesses to add security cameras or guards if they plan to serve alcohol after midnight
- Require all amplified noise, like live music, to only be heard inside of buildings by midnight on the weekends
The ordinance went before city commission last month, where some folks who live in downtown supported it to keep downtown wholesome.
Meanwhile, some local business owners argued against having to pay the for the special permit every year and that they’d miss out on important revenue.
Bumpers says he has no issue with more security, but if the ordinance is passed, he’d miss the late-night music and drinks.
“We know specific places we like that are open later, and if all of a sudden those places had to close earlier, we’d cross this off our list of places to go," said Bumpers.
This issue split the city commission 2-2 last month, so it didn’t move forward, but there was one commissioner missing from that vote.
There is a workshop on the idea Monday morning at 9:00 a.m. at City Hall where folks can weigh in on it.
You can find information on that workshop here.
After that, the city commission can decide if they want to put it back on an upcoming meeting agenda, or squash the idea altogether.