City officials are asking residents to point out which bars are creating noise and safety issues in the Bardstown Road corridor.
Louisville’s Alcoholic Beverage Control now has a survey on its website to help gauge public sentiment about bar closing times, whether too many bars are located close together and how late to allow retail sale of alcohol. There’s a survey specifically for the Highlands, as well as one for areas in the rest of Jefferson County.
Public sentiment is the one of the criteria ABC must consider when deciding whether to issue a liquor license.
Mayor Craig Greenberg said at a press conference at the Highlands-Shelby Park Library Tuesday morning that many of the more than 60 bars along Bardstown Road have to apply to renew their license in October.
“Your input will help the city gauge public sentiment and inform ABC’s future decisions,” he said. “We want to make sure to include information about public safety issues, any noise issues, traffic or transportation issues or effects on any businesses in the area.”
In addition to asking about general sentiment, anyone who fills out the survey can also report issues with a specific bar, restaurant or nightclub with a liquor license.
Greenberg said officials want to know if businesses are causing problems for neighbors, but he cautioned that ABC cannot deny a liquor license solely based on public protest. He said the survey is “not a gotcha.”
“This is not a social media comment section,” he said. “This is to address real, repetitive, specific problems that we want to hear from the community.”
Louisville officials and ABC detectives have cracked down on bars along Bardstown Road in recent years in response to resident complaints and violence.
Last July, the bar Afrokanza closed its doors amid a months-long investigation in response to a shooting that occurred nearby the year before. And Cafe 360 voluntarily gave up its late-night liquor license last March after a fatal shooting.
More recently, the city ramped up the police presence on Bardstown Road to address street takeovers, where rowdy patrons spilled out of bars onto the street and blocked traffic.
Licensing is one of the tools the Greenberg administration has used to address noise and safety in the city’s most popular bar and restaurant district. It’s often been successful in stripping problem businesses of their alcohol licenses, but there have been some missteps.
The owners of Baxter’s 942 had their renewal application denied last October, with officials citing nearby shootings. The bar’s owners appealed to the state, which ruled the Louisville ABC director “abused his discretion when he erroneously, unreasonably, and arbitrarily denied" them a license. Baxter’s 942 remains closed as administrative hearings continue.
Officials say actions are working
Greenberg said Tuesday that the city has taken “a multifaceted approach” to addressing issues on Bardstown Road since the street takeovers earlier this summer.
The Louisville Metro Police Department is parking marked cruisers along the street and having officers get out and walk the neighborhood. Businesses that don’t operate late into the evening have also started blocking off their parking lots overnight.
Greenberg said police issued seven citations last weekend for inappropriate behavior and towed 15 cars that were illegally parked.
“We are going to keep our foot on the gas pedal,” he said. “We’re going to continue doing this work and other things to ensure safety on Bardstown Road and all neighborhoods across our city.”
Greenberg was asked whether changing the city’s bar closing time to earlier than 4 a.m. was something he would support. He said it’s an option that will “remain on the table” and will be “a conversation happening over the months to come.”
That measure has been proposed numerous times before, but has never had enough support from Metro Council.
Ben Botkins, a Highlands resident and owner of Parkside Bikes and The Bellwether hotel, said he thinks the actions the city has taken this summer have led to a “less violent” and “less chaotic corridor.” Botkins said the city’s Ambassador Program, which has uniformed employees sweeping sidewalks, answering tourist questions and reporting public safety concerns, has also been a big help.
“I don’t know that the streets have ever been cleaner,” he said. “That uniformed presence is something we all talk about that makes the corridor feel more professional and put together.”
For his part, Botkins said the city allowing another 2 a.m. or 4 a.m. bar to open in the Highlands would be “the most demoralizing thing we could have” for neighbors.
