Salt Lake City mulls after-hours drinking restrictions
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Salt Lake City's nightlife could face major restrictions under a proposal to ban after-hours drinking on nonresidential properties — a move city officials say is about safety, but critics warn could gut underground culture.
Why it matters: The measure pits public safety concerns against the future of Salt Lake City's music and arts scene.
- The ordinance "threatens grassroots organizers, nightlife, art shows, music events and the communities that rely on them," according to a statement released by Fervor, an LGBTQ+ music and art collective that regularly hosts dance parties for adults 21 and over in Salt Lake City.
State of play: The citywide measure introduced earlier this month would ban drinking from 2am to 6am in "common areas of commercial establishments and non-residential premises."
The big picture: The proposed ordinance comes more than a year after charging documents asserted operators of the former New Yorker Social Club served invited guests free alcohol and ran the event space as a nightclub, the Salt Lake Tribune reported.
- The Salt Lake City Police Department said it seized firearms and more than 100 bottles of alcohol, marijuana and cocaine, after conducting a search of the property in 2023.
What they're saying: Gizmoe Alonzo, who founded Fervor in 2022, told Axios the ordinance would undermine individual autonomy.
- Fervor has not sold alcohol at past dance events, instead allowing attendees to provide their own.
Between the lines: Bars are allowed to serve alcohol between 10am and 1am under state law.
- Proponents said event organizers exploit loopholes in state law that allow after-hours parties to operate long past last call.
What's next: A tentative council vote was scheduled for Oct. 7, but will likely be pushed back to assess how to move forward, council spokesperson Whitney González Fernández told Axios on Tuesday.