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Board committee advances Coal Valley entertainment zone ordinance to promote street festivals and night markets
Summary
The Rules Committee moved an ordinance to the full Board that would establish a Coal Valley Entertainment Zone allowing restaurants and bars to sell open-to-go beverages for permitted events; the proposal includes a technical change to align with state law and will require OEWD management plans and other permits.
The Rules Committee on Monday voted to send an ordinance to the full Board of Supervisors that would create a Coal Valley Entertainment Zone on segments of Cole Street and Carl Street, allowing adjacent licensed restaurants and bars to sell open-to-go beverages during permitted special events such as night markets and street festivals.
Supervisor Mandelmann, who introduced the ordinance, said the measure builds on earlier pandemic-era experiments that activated public spaces and on two existing entertainment zones in the city. He said the Coal Valley Merchants Association and the Coal Valley Improvement Association support the proposal and that the Office of Economic and Workforce Development (OEWD) will develop a management plan for the zone that can attach operating rules tailored to the neighborhood.
OEWD staffer Ben Van Houten told the committee the ordinance would permit restaurants, bars, breweries and wineries to serve nonmetal, nonglass open containers within the zone, only when an event is permitted and only when operators implement age-identification and other controls. He also said a recent state law change removed the requirement for a one-day ABC event permit; the ordinance therefore removes duplicative local references to that permit.
Two area business owners, Dan Surratt of Finnegan’s Wake and Jim Angelus of Coal Valley Tavern, spoke in support, saying prior street activations helped foot traffic and business recovery. Surratt described outreach at a holiday market and said the Coal Valley Improvement Association circulated positive notices to its roughly 600 members.
Supervisor Mandelmann offered two non-substantive amendments worked with the deputy city attorney; those changes clarify which premises are included and align the ordinance’s language with state law. The committee adopted the amendments unanimously and moved the ordinance forward to the full Board as a committee report.
No public opposition speakers were recorded during the committee comment period.
Next steps: OEWD will continue working with community stakeholders to develop the entertainment-zone management plan and coordinate required street-closure and ABC permitting for events under the zone’s rules before the ordinance reaches final Board consideration.
