LOUISVILLE, Ky. — Louisville is cracking down on loud bars and restaurants as part of an effort to reduce complaints from people living along Bardstown Road, and curb violence in the process.
Metro Alcoholic Beverage Control (ABC) Director Brad Silveria has announced a new zero-tolerance policy for bar noise violations in the city.
Previously, ABC officers would issue warnings to businesses, but now they have the power to immediately issue a $2,500 fine for the first offense.
Within the next couple weeks, bars along Bardstown Road and other areas of the Metro will receive notices from the city, warning them of these increased consequences for repeat offenders.
"This policy is going to address enforcement, which majorly fell off after COVID," Ralph Melbourne, president of the Original Highlands Neighborhood Association, said.
Like in years past, people living along Bardstown Road will call 311 with a noise complaint. The difference now is the power Metro ABC has to help mitigate prolonged issues, including violence spilling over in recent years.
"Many times it's the same establishments over and over that consistently cause the issues or concerns," Silveria said. "We're just asking them to be a good neighbor to the people around them. We want them to be successful in business."
A bar that's had conversations with Metro ABC recently has been Afrokanza Lounge, along Bardstown Road.
"We never have been cited for noise," Owner Benard Babot said. "I don't see [any] change [for us] because we've really been doing the same thing. To cite bars that are excessively noisy, that's something that we welcome."
Babot said he fully supports the new noise violation policy and has even taken a few of their speakers down to remedy the problem.
Afrokanza Lounge has been the target of heavy criticism from some in the community since a deadly overnight shooting happened just doors down from the business in late July. It happened an hour after the restaurant had closed for the night.
Babot said blaming his bar for this deadly violence is completely misguided.
"They're associating Black people with crime, and that is not good. That is not something we'll stand for," he said.
He's urging folks in the neighborhood to work with them to make for the best and safest environment possible.
Councilman Ben Reno-Weber (D-8), who represents a large portion of the Highlands, told WHAS11 News that many of his constituents want bars to close earlier in the night.
Reno-Weber said it's one of many possibilities they're looking into, but told us there's nothing set in stone right now and no timeline.
He said noise was a top complaint, but added the problems are interconnected.
"Violence is a complex issue that's being addressed, needs to be addressed in many different ways," Reno-Weber said. "But one piece of it is a lot of the establishments where we're seeing in the neighborhood concentrations of violence are also where we're seeing a lot of neighbors complaining about that."
The new policy will take effect at the start of September to allow businesses time to educate their staff about the change. On Wednesday, Silveria told WHAS11 News the policy could go into effect even sooner if they get quick responses from businesses.
Metro ABC is also ensuring business owners that if they report to a complaint and don't find evidence of a sufficient problem, they will not issue a fine.
The council members said they plan to unveil other anti-violence initiatives in the coming weeks.
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