South Side bar owners try to keep the peace

Weary of complaints about their patrons, Adam DeSimone said he and other South Side bar owners are "taking matters into our own hands" by pooling money for extra cleanup crews and police patrols starting this fall.

But the owners' new group, South Side Responsible Hospitality Partnership, aims to do far more than that.

Mr. DeSimone, owner of Diesel Club Lounge at 1601 E. Carson St., said it will provide annual training for the clubs' employees, sponsor community service projects and give bars a voice in matters affecting the entertainment district.

So far, he said, 11 establishments along East Carson from 14th to 19th streets have pledged a total of about $60,000 for weekend cleanup crews, to be hired from the private sector, and city police patrols.

Mr. DeSimone announced the effort amid a continuing stream of complaints about young revelers who litter, yell and urinate on private property during late-night or early-morning outings. A nasty exchange of Internet posts between party-goers and residents last week deteriorated into threats of violence, although there were no disturbances last weekend.

"There are problems," Mr. DeSimone acknowledged. "I think there are fewer problems than what has been reported."

The group-financed cleanups and police patrols would cover not only East Carson but the side streets where homeowners have reported disturbances.

Mr. DeSimone said group members already hire about 15 officers for security details at their establishments on Friday and Saturday nights. He said the neighborhood patrols, involving two to four officers per night, would be in addition to the security details.

While Mr. DeSimone hopes to bridge the divide between bar owners and residents, he also sees the group's work as a way to arrest bad publicity and protect his investment.

"If the neighborhood isn't safe, no one's going to come," he said.

With an occupancy limit of about 600, Diesel is the one of the South Side's bigger establishments. Mr. DeSimone also is seeking state Liquor Control Board approval to operate Local Bar and Kitchen, a new entertainment venue with a proposed occupancy limit of 175, adjacent to Diesel.

Mr. DeSimone said the other establishments committed to the initiative so far are Carson City Saloon, Mario's South Side Saloon, Nakama Japanese Steak House, Jimmy D's, Finn McCool's Irish Pub, Elixir Ultra Lounge, S Bar, The Rex Theatre, Folino's/Tom's Diner and Villa Southside.

He estimated a pair of four-officer patrols each week would cost about $1,200. He said the commitment of $60,000 would be supplemented with additional donations from group members and with contributions he's seeking from alcohol manufacturers and distributors.

Monthly service projects would be another effort to foster better relations with residents.

Mr. DeSimone said club employees could paint, plant flowers or work with the Brashear Association, a community group, on other projects. He said he would consider asking District Judge Eugene Riccardi to order anyone convicted of alcohol-related crimes on the South Side to participate in service projects.

The group also will host Responsible Alcohol Management Program classes in a bid to interest more South Side bars in the program.

The Liquor Control Board program -- voluntary except for troubled establishments -- teaches bar employees and managers how to shut off inebriated patrons, recognize fake IDs and address other behavior problems. Only about 2,500 of the state's 17,000 alcohol licensees are certified through the program, although some establishments offer a certain amount of employee training without completing the certification process, Leslie Coombe, director of the LCB Bureau of Alcohol Education, said.

The bars' initiative drew support from Nancy Eshelman, president of South Side Chamber of Commerce, and Rick Belloli, executive director of South Side Local Development Co.

"I think what they're talking about doing today is exactly what the South Side needs for the long run," Mr. Belloli said.

The South Side Local Development Co. employs a cleanup crew that covers East Carson seven days a week. Mr. Belloli said the bar owners' cleanup campaign might be incorporated into the existing effort.

Jim Peters, president of the Responsible Hospitality Institute, a California-based nonprofit group, said establishments in a growing number of cities are forming "nightlife associations" to help address problems and set policy in entertainment districts.

"I think it's noble that the bars are coming together to hire the police, but some cities look at bars paying the police as a potential conflict," Mr. Peters said.

It might be better, he said, for the bars to make contributions to a third party, such as a business group, which would hire the officers.

City Councilman Bruce Kraus, who represents the South Side, echoed Mr. Peters' comments but said he's pleased with the bar owners' willingness to help.

Mr. Peters and Mr. Kraus said additional police officers alone wouldn't be enough to cure the South Side's ills. With input from the institute, Mr. Kraus last year released a comprehensive management plan that called for dozens of improvements, ranging from creation of a business improvement district to a code of conduct for student visitors.

Mr. DeSimone said he would like his group to help market the South Side, perhaps through a quarterly publication distributed citywide, and he wants the bar owners to have a voice in addressing neighborhood problems, such as the lack of nighttime parking.

He proposed making the hospitality partnership part of the South Side Planning Forum, now composed of representatives of six community groups, including the chamber and South Side Local Development.

While Mr. DeSimone said he wants to be a good neighbor, he doesn't accept all of the blame placed on bars and their patrons.

For example, he said it's unclear how much trouble is caused by bar patrons and how much is caused by students attending weekend house parties on the South Side.

And he said he'll oppose harsh occupancy restrictions or other efforts to stifle bar owners' business rights.

"You're talking to a capitalist," he said.

First published on August 1, 2010 at 12:00 am