EDITORIAL: Will the city move to quiet the Arts District?

Downtown Las Vegas has come a long way in the past few decades as the Arts District has developed into an eclectic urban collection of restaurants, taverns and entertainment venues. But some area business owners now worry that new municipal regulations could undercut that progress. The Las Vegas City Council should take them seriously.

Las Vegas officials recently indicated they were looking for input from downtown interests about a potential change in the city statutes, which limit outdoor amplified noise between 11 p.m. and 7 a.m. in most places. On the weekend, however, the restrictions don’t kick in until 2 a.m. in the Arts District thanks to an exception to the law. This has made the area more suitable for late Friday and Saturday night outdoor entertainment.

City officials insist that their query does not foreshadow an imminent change to the statute. Rather the move was apparently the result of complaints. “The city had received some concerns from some businesses in the Arts District about the levels of amplified sound outside of some of the other businesses,” according to a statement. “In response, the city put out information and asked for feedback so that the current ordinance in the area could be reviewed.”

But many business owners who cater to bar-goers, restaurant patrons or music aficionados are understandably concerned. Bureaucratic and political meddling tend to be difficult to tamp down.

“This would completely cripple the ability of the Arts District as a whole to operate as a credible nighttime destination for locals and tourists alike,” wrote Jeff Hwang, owner of Taverna Costera, in a social media post co-signed by the owners of seven other establishments.

Indeed, the area’s success is at least partly the result of its development as a concentrated destination option that offers a variety of culinary, libation and entertainment options within only a few city blocks. A typical municipal regulatory environment — tavern distance requirements, parking mandates, etc. — would almost certainly have stymied its growth and success. A relaxed noise ordinance two days a week is one part of that equation.

The City Council and city officials shouldn’t mess with success. If there actually is a conflict among businesses or residents on the weekend noise issue — rather than simply a complaint or two — municipal leaders should get the parties to the table and work out an understanding or a compromise rather than use the heavy hand of the law to jeopardize the prosperity and character of the Arts District.