j u s t o u t ▼ f o b r u a r y 3, I M S T i l
Travel th e w o rld ,
but ca ll us first...
Impact zones
A new OLCC rule makes some
Stark Street bar owners a touch nervous
Three Reasons Why It
Doesn't Matter Where
You Start Out in Life.
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by Inga Sorensen
rule recently adopted by the Oregon
Town, and Southwest Stark Street, which is home
Liquor Control Commission may al
to Panorama, Silverado, Scandals and C.C. Slaugh
low the city of Portland to place uni
ters, bars and dance clubs catering to gay, lesbian
form restrictions on entire neighbor
and alternative crowds.
hoods and could dictate to business
Dugger says business owners on Stark Street
owners when and how they operate their establish
have been meeting for years to address problems.
ments. That has some in the Southwest Stark Street
“I started the group in 1987, when we were having
vicinity—an area inhabited by several gay-ori
problems with gay-bashings,” he says. “It’s a
ented bars—a touch nervous.
loosely knit group of business owners— both gay
“I do believe this area could very well be
and straight—that work together.”
targeted,” says Greg Dugger, owner of Scandals,
Group members have met with Portland Police
1038 SW Stark St., a bar catering to the sexual
Bureau officials who, says Dugger, have been
minorities community. “I don’t think that’s be
“extremely helpful.” During the past several months
cause we’re gay. It’s just a reality that neighbor
Portland police have beefed up their foot patrols in
hoods like this or the Castro or Greenwich Village
the Stark Street area to improve safety.
foster a very social and urban climate. These types
Many members of the Downtown Community
of neighborhoods often have to deal with traffic
Association, a neighborhood association that rep
and noise problems.”
resents the interest of citizens residing in several
Several weeks ago, the OLCC adopted a rule
downtown neighborhoods, including Old Town,
Stark Street and the Park Blocks, are strong sup
which would allow the city of Portland to ask the
porters of the OLCC’s new rule.
agency to designate alcohol impact areas and set
uniform limitations specifying how alcohol may
“From what I’ve seen, people in [the Stark
be sold in those areas. Backers of the measure say
Street area] are really working together more and
it’s designed to reduce
more to resolve prob
problem s associated
lems,” says Lisa Home,
with street drinking, pub-
chair of the DCA’s public
lic intoxication, noisy
safety committee. She also
conduct, or other late
recently became involved
night disturbances asso
with the organization’s
ciated with on-premises
Stark Street workgroup,
drinking.
which comprises business
Under the rule, Or
owners and residents con
cerned with alcohol-re
egon cities with a popu
lated problem s in the
lation of more than
300,000—Portland is the
neighborhood. “I have
heard of no plans to have
only city to meet that
criteria— may petition
the Stark Street area de
the OLCC to declare
clared an alcohol impact
”
impact zones. If an area
zone, and, please, let me
stress that we view this
is deemed an alcohol
[rule] as a last resort.”
impact zone, the OLCC
could limit off-premises
An uglier aspect of the
gay
and
lesbian
alcohol sales, restrict the
community’s
history
in
hours alcohol is sold in
volves government crack
that area, or set “any
other limitations” to re
downs and police raids on
gay bars. This reality bol
duce the documented
problems, such as limiting the number of new
sters fears that an area may be targeted because it
has many gay-oriented businesses.
outlets in the area. Previously, limitations could be
placed only on individual businesses—not entire
“There may be concerns about gay businesses
among some members of a neighborhood associa
areas.
tion, though I doubt it would come up at a public
“Sometimes it is not possible to identify one or
meeting,” says Sharon McCormick, crime preven
two businesses that might be the cause of alcohol-
tion coordinator for the city’s Office of Neighbor
related problems like noise and public urination.
hood Associations. “I don’t know if that’s the case,
That’s because some streets are crowded with a
but it could be an underlying concern.”
number of establishments that serve alcohol and
“In no way was this rule created as a way to
cater to a late night crowd,” explains OLCC spokes
discriminate
against people. In fact, [the measure]
woman Louise Casper, adding, “We want people
specifically forbids that from happening,” says
to know that we take this issue very seriously and
OLCC’s
Casper, adding the new rule explicitly
we have a long list of requirements the city must
states the city cannot “take into consideration or
meet when petitioning us to declare an alcohol
make any proposal based on age, race, sex, disabil
impact zone.”
ity, marital status, national origin, sexual orienta
According to the measure, the city is first
tion,
color or religion" when petitioning the OLCC.
required to work “in good faith” with affected
Home says, “There have been so many attacks
businesses, residents and city staff to develop a
on
the
gay community during the past couple of
voluntary program to address the problems. It must
years that I can understand why there would be a
“make reasonable efforts” to notify those likely to
heightened sensitivity around something like this.”
be affected and offer them the opportunity to
DCA President Vem Riferadds: “As the father
participate in the city’s process. It further man
of
a
lesbian daughter, I can tell you that I am very
dates that public hearings be held so interested
concerned about discrimination.... That’s not what
parties may share their views.
this rule is about—it’s about making neighbor
Casper says Portland officials have not ap
hoods more livable for residents. It’s about ad
proached the OLCC about declaring any area an
dressing
problems of noise, litter, car prowls and
impact zone, though there have been concerns
crime.”
about drinking and late night noise in various parts
of the city, including Northwest 21 st Avenue, Old
A
If an area is deemed an
alcohol impact zone,
the OLCC could limit
off-premises alcohol
sales, restrict the hours
alcohol is sold in that
area, or set “any other
limitations to reduce the
documented problems,
such as limiting the
number of new outlets in
the area.
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