Santa Rosa studies 'entertainment zones' for downtown pilot, with police urging measured rollout

City staff outlined a proposal to create designated "entertainment zones" in downtown Santa Rosa intended to boost nightlife and capture sales currently leaving the city.

Sitchen Bisla, a city staff member presenting the study session, said the proposal responds to the city's Strategic Economic Development Plan and to a consultant analysis that found residents spend substantial dollars outside Santa Rosa. She cited Senate Bill 969, which took effect Jan. 1, 2025, as the state authorization that allows local jurisdictions to permit outdoor alcohol consumption in defined zones under a local ordinance and an accompanying management plan.

The proposal described three potential downtown footprints — the Courthouse Square corridor, a Ray Road Square area and an event-only station area — with preliminary hours under consideration of Friday–Sunday, noon–10 p.m. Bisla said eligible participants would include licensed restaurants, local wineries and breweries and that businesses would have to notify the California Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control to participate.

Teniente Cris Majerín of the Central Police Department presented enforcement data and cautioned that staffing limits constrain daily on-site enforcement. "In 2025 we responded to 5,095 calls in the district and made about 499 arrests," Majerín said, adding that during potential entertainment-zone hours (Thursday–Sunday, noon–10 p.m.) officers logged 1,364 calls and 106 arrests. He told the council the department lacks guaranteed additional patrols for every activation and recommended starting with a limited pilot and monthly interdepartmental reviews with police, economic development and event staff.

Several downtown business owners and community organizers spoke in favor of a pilot. Abi Artha, who identified herself as a local organizer, said a Wednesday market had already functioned as an informal test for managing alcohol and family programming and argued that a targeted pilot could be scaled or recalibrated using concrete data.

Councilmembers broadly signaled support for a measured pilot. Councilmember McDonald's favored starting small and collecting business and enforcement feedback; Councilmember Rogers emphasized consistent hours to ease enforcement; Councilmember Fleming and others stressed lighting and walkability improvements to link zones with adjacent commercial areas.

The presenter asked the council to direct staff to either not pursue a zone, to draft an ordinance and management plan, or to prepare a pilot proposal. Councilmembers did not take a final vote tonight; staff said it will return with a draft ordinance or pilot recommendation once it gathers more community input and refines days, hours and geographic boundaries.

Next steps: staff will collect additional business, police and community feedback and return with ordinance/pilot options for council consideration.