Hospitality and Downtown Recovery Legislation Gets Council Support
As part of the Bay Area Council’s focus on downtown recovery, we are excited to support AB 342 by Assemblymember Matt Haney (San Francisco) to allow the creation of Hospitality Zones by local governments in downtowns throughout California. Within these zones, this bill allows alcohol service until 4 a.m. on Fridays, Saturdays, and on state holidays. It also requires that local governing bodies consider certain factors such as public safety, transportation, availability of hotel accommodations, the proximity of convention centers/arenas, the walkability, and the cultural, historic and economic appropriateness of the zone. This bill also allows local governments to create Special Events Hospitality Zones that are in place for a maximum of one month to accommodate events such as the Olympics, World Cup, and music festivals.
A 4 a.m. last call allows a more staggered closing time for businesses in the Hospitality Zone and a more consistent flow of people returning home from the venues throughout the night, which would mitigate safety concerns. AB 342 is a pro-business, pro-local government bill that gives cities the tools and flexibility they need to support their communities and the needs of their residents and visitors.
This measure is one of a series of efforts the Council has been supportive of including co-sponsoring 2023’s SB 76 by Senator Scott Wiener, the Entertainment Zones Act, which allowed municipalities to create temporary Entertainment Zones that allow neighborhood businesses to participate in local government-designated open container zones for festivals, parades, etc. The entertainment zones temporarily shutter streets to vehicles to increase foot traffic for public events, which in turn boost sales for local stores. On April 7, San Francisco Mayor Daniel Lurie announced legislation that would create five new “entertainment zones.” The bill’s first test will be April 23 in the Assembly Governmental Organization Committee. To learn more, please contact Bay Area Council’s lobbyist Alex Torres.
