A change in Springfield could benefit Chicopee
Date: 2/15/2013
By G. Michael Dobbs
and Aubri Bailly
news@thereminder.comCHICOPEE — Would Springfield's loss be Chicopee's gain?
On Feb. 6, the Springfield's Board of License Commissioners heard testimony from Mayor Domenic Sarno and others concerning Sarno's proposal to close all establishments serving alcohol at 1 a.m. instead of 2 a.m.
Chicopee Mayor Michael Bissonnette said that while he would like to see the city have "a more vibrant music venue downtown," he expressed concerns about bar patrons rushing from one community to another in order to make last call.
He believes that all communities sticking to a statewide closing time would solve that public safety problem. Under state law now, communities can set their own closing times as long as it doesn't go past 2 a.m.
Bissonnette cited the success of Maximum Capacity as one example of a business that is helping to make the city "a popular destination." In the past Bissonnette has expressed the desirability of downtown Chicopee as an entertainment destination.
Noting that younger patrons of bars generally don't go out until 10 or 11 p.m. and expect to stay out until 2 a.m., Bissonnette said that if Springfield adopts a 1 a.m. closing, "if you're going out, you're not going to stay in Springfield."
*** The Springfield Board of License Commissioners heard multiple arguments for and against the proposal at the public hearing on Feb. 6.
Mayor Domenic Sarno was vivid in his speech to fight for the proposal.
"I don't care what type of business you own, what background you have. If you run your business properly, you will have no problem," Sarno stated.
Sarno is trying to make Springfield a more peaceful city in which to live. He pointed out that with the bar closing time being 2 a.m., there has been an influx in incidents occurring after 1 a.m. Sarno also stated that if the establishments were working with the police, there would be fewer problems.
Springfield Police Commissioner William Fitchet said at the hearing that the entire police department is also in favor of this proposal. Since the city started a 1 a.m. entertainment ban, Fitchet stated that crime decreased. Police Capt. C. Lee Bennett reported that since the change in the entertainment curfew — bars must end entertainment at 1 a.m. unless they have a special permit — arrests have gone down 30 percent and that, between 2 a.m. and 3 a.m., disturbance calls, gun shots, etc. have decreased 75 percent.
Small business owner Lucy Savage spoke about why she is in favor of the proposal.
"Since the mayor's put this in place [the entertainment curfew], it's been a wonderful thing to be able to go to sleep at a normal hour and be able to get up and function," Savage said.
Although some people were in favor of the proposal, a majority of the standing room only audience seemed to be against it.
Edward Grimaldi, owner of Samuel's Sports Bar and Tavern, spoke to the economic development side of Sarno's proposal.
Grimaldi stated in his testimony that since Samuel's opened nine years ago, it has grown to be a more than $3 million a year business. If this proposal was to be passed, he knows that he would have to cut 30-35 jobs immediately and 10-15 positions within the few months afterward.
With economic development and unemployment being key issues at the moment, Grimaldi gave the commissioners these statistics to show them exactly what the impact would be.
Springfield resident John Almayo stated that if this proposal were to be passed, many people would be forced to go to other cities, such as Chicopee, Northampton or Agawam.
"People are still going to stay out. Nobody's going to go home if they don't want to go home. This will kill business," Almayo asserted.
Even though a majority of the people seemed to be against the proposal, many brought up that having a no re-entry after 1 a.m. rule could be a positive compromise. Several of the speakers said that many businesses in the area have adapted this policy already and say that it is a much better alternative than shutting everything down at 1 a.m.
The board stated that they would be taking written submissions either for or against the proposal up until Feb. 21. Each person will need to provide six copies of their statement: one for each commissioner and one for the office.
