Entertainment Commission imposes security order at Temple nightclub, schedules joint hearing with Youth Commission and approves multiple permits

The San Francisco City and County Entertainment Commission on Jan. 11 issued a director's order imposing enhanced security measures at Temple nightclub after multiple incidents, approved a motion to hold a joint hearing with the Youth Commission on youth entertainment and harm reduction, and cleared several place-of-entertainment permits with conditions.

Staff told the commission a director's order issued Jan. 11 for Temple (also identified in materials as the Zen Compound at 540 Howard Street) will become effective Jan. 26, 2011, and requires the permit holder to install ID scanners (in use 30 days after the effective date), add enhanced surveillance at entrances and increase interior camera coverage from 32 to 64 devices within 60 days, discontinue sale of beer in bottles on Friday and Saturday nights, conduct pat-downs of patrons with female security to screen female patrons, and retain recordings for at least 30 days. Entertainment Commission staff said the order follows several incidents, one of which is being treated by SFPD as a homicide, and that the order is subject to the permit holder—s right to appeal.

Inspector Dave Falzon of the San Francisco Police Department described New Year—s enforcement actions that led to emergency suspensions and court review, and said the interagency effort produced evidence the courts upheld. "We saved lives that night," Falzon said, recounting an enforcement action at an unpermitted, four-story warehouse party where fire hazards and lack of occupancy permits created serious risk.

The commission—s discussion centered on the scope and legal risk of ID scanning and data retention. Commissioners noted the city attorney had flagged potential legal issues for citywide mandatory scanning but staff said the Temple order was applied after a specific public-safety incident and, in this case, reflected proposals made by the venue. One commissioner asked whether scanner data retention or police access to the data had been specified; staff replied retention and technical timelines were part of the order but that further operational details and any police use would be subject to existing laws and future clarification.

Separately, members voted unanimously to schedule a joint hearing with the Youth Commission to examine youth entertainment access, safety, harm reduction and the impacts of pending legislation. Liam Shy, an organizer with savetherave.org, told the commission he and others want a coordinated forum to address lost youth programming in the city and to respond to AB 74, a state bill he described as targeting prerecorded-music events. "This is a way that we can—t reach out," Shy said in urging the joint session; Leah Lacroix, chair of the Youth Commission, echoed the request and said the Youth Commission represents people roughly ages 12 to 23.

Commissioners also considered multiple place-of-entertainment permit applications. The commission conditionally granted a permit for Colosseo (Colosseo Ristorante/Colacio in North Beach) to allow live singing in a 126-person space after staff and the planning department submitted conditions and SFPD recommended mitigations; the permit approval was tied to planning conditions and a required sound test. The commission approved a permit for the Burrito Room at the Crescent Hotel, amending SFPD—s suggested weekday/weekend caps to allow up to two live-entertainment nights per week without restricting the day of the week and adopting clarified loitering language and good-neighbor conditions. Other small-venue permits (including limited DJ or non-amplified music operations) were approved with standard conditions or planning carryover conditions.

Public commenters included John Goodwin of savetherave.org, who urged the commission to preserve electronic dance events and said he was "offended at the use of the word rave to mean an illegal party." Commissioners used public testimony and SFPD input to balance neighborhood-nuisance controls with venues— business plans, and several motions included friendly amendments to police-recommended conditions (for example, narrowing food-service-related conditions that the commission judged to fall under ABC or other authorities).

What happens next: the director's order for Temple is effective Jan. 26 unless appealed; staff will schedule the joint hearing with the Youth Commission and return permit conditions and any outstanding appeals to future hearings. The commission took no action that would immediately lift the venue-specific suspensions noted in staff reports.