Business & Tech
Liquor License Moratorium Plan Eased
Encinitas aims to temporarily block new alcohol licenses to businesses that want to serve drinks after 10 p.m.
Amid complaints about rowdy bar patrons, the Encinitas City Council voted Wednesday to slightly tweak a proposed 45-day moratorium on new alcohol licenses.
Officials also asked the Encinitas Hospitality Committee—made up of local business owners—to develop their own proposal to improve conditions in the downtown area.
If a moratorium is imposed on new alcohol license applications, four Encinitas restaurants would be affected, according to Planning and Building Director Jeff Murphy. Those include Lobster West, 765 S. Coast Highway, which opens Thursday, and The Bier Garden of Encinitas, 641 S. Coast Highway, which opened this year and wants to expand its existing license, Murphy told the council.
The moratorium would not require businesses to change their hours, Mayor Teresa Barth told Patch.
Interested in local real estate?Subscribe to Patch's new newsletter to be the first to know about open houses, new listings and more.
Related: Read Interim Urgency Ordinance 2013-05 as it was presented to the council
Residents have complained that partying, drinking and sometimes fighting spill into the streets of Encinitas. Two weeks ago, 10News reported that angry residents and business owners packed the Encinitas council meeting, claiming the city was "becoming the new Pacific Beach."
Interested in local real estate?Subscribe to Patch's new newsletter to be the first to know about open houses, new listings and more.
The San Diego County Sheriff's Department said that, since 2008, service calls to Encinitas bars have increased by 13 percent.
— Patch Editor Eric Yates contributed to this report.
Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts.
