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Rules Committee advances Coal Street entertainment-zone ordinance after merchant support and minor technical amendments
Summary
An ordinance to create a Coal Valley Entertainment Zone on Cole and Carl streets was amended for technical conformity with state law and forwarded to the full board with a positive recommendation after developers and neighborhood merchants voiced support.
The Rules Committee voted unanimously to forward an ordinance establishing a Coal Valley Entertainment Zone — spanning Cole Street between Frederick and Parnassus avenues and Carl Street between Schrader and Clayton streets — to the full Board of Supervisors with a positive recommendation after non-substantive amendments.
President Mandelmann introduced the ordinance as a tool to allow neighborhood activation with street festivals and night markets, building on temporary pandemic-era uses of public space. Ben Van Houten of the Office of Economic and Workforce Development (OEWD) described entertainment zones as ordinance-designated areas where state-authorized on-premise retailers (restaurants, bars, breweries and wineries) may serve open-to-consume, to-go beverages in shared outdoor space during permitted events. Van Houten said local OEWD management plans set zone-specific operating requirements and that state law now removes a duplicative one-day ABC event-permit requirement.
Business owners from Coal Valley testified in support. Dan Surratt, president of the Coal Valley Merchants Association and owner of Finnegan's Wake, described neighborhood outreach and merchant support, and cited a December holiday market where the merchants solicited public opinion. Merchant Jim Angelus, who owns multiple Coal Valley establishments, told the committee these events "activate the street" and help struggling neighborhood businesses.
President Mandelmann circulated and moved two non-substantive amendments to clarify the ordinance's premises language and to adjust the local permitting trigger to align with state law; the committee adopted the amendments unanimously and then voted to forward the ordinance as amended.
OEWD materials in the committee packet included a proposed management plan framework and technical language aligning local code with state changes under Senate Bill 969. The ordinance now proceeds to the full board for consideration.
