Sidewalk Cafe Idea OKd but Not Without Strings

The City Council on Tuesday warily agreed to the idea of European-style sidewalk cafes.

After hearing warnings from four speakers that the city’s Old Pasadena area is becoming, as one citizen put it, “a playground for party animals,” the council nonetheless directed City Atty. Victor Kaleta to draw up an ordinance that would permit outdoor drinking with meals.

But there should be some strings attached, council members said.

First of all, there should be a physical barrier separating diners from pedestrians, and permits should be granted only for the Old Pasadena area and South Lake Avenue, the council agreed unanimously. And permits could be revoked at the first signs that a sidewalk cafe is becoming a focus of disturbances.

“The burden should clearly be on the proprietor to run a good operation,” said Councilman William Thomson.

The proposed ordinance, which the council will consider next month, stems from an ordinance passed last week, permitting outdoor dining.

Some Old Pasadena restaurateurs had, without official sanction, set up tables on the sidewalks in front of their restaurants. The new ordinance, passed unanimously Dec. 15, allows restaurants to apply for a $100 sidewalk dining permit.

But Councilman Jess Hughston was adamant about keeping alcoholic beverages off of those outdoor tables.

“I object to the symbolism of serving alcohol in public,” said Hughston, who sought unsuccessfully last February to impose a smoking ban on Pasadena restaurants. “Young people will see it, and it glamorizes that activity. That’s a mistake.”

More than 50% of the arrests made by Pasadena police are alcohol related, he said.

A spokesman for the department said that figure probably came from an arrest survey conducted several years ago with the assistance of an alcohol recovery program, but he could not confirm its accuracy.

Hughston ultimately agreed to regulating the serving of alcoholic beverages, rather than banning it. He said he had become convinced that a blanket prohibition is “not practical.”

Representatives of Pasadena restaurateurs argued against a proposed two-drink limit on outdoor imbibers, saying it would be difficult to enforce.

“There’s a small problem if I and a friend order a bottle of wine,” said Armen Shirvanian, a co-owner of Mi Piace on Colorado Boulevard. “If I drink three glasses and she drinks one, then I’m in technical violation.”

Kaleta said such city-imposed restrictions may be not only unenforceable but also an intrusion on the enforcement authority of the state Alcoholic Beverage Commission.

But the restaurateurs said they can abide by other conditions imposed by the council.

“It’s not a major compromise,” Shirvanian said. “We consider it a blessing just to be able to put the chair out on the sidewalk.”