By Wesley Harris
Baltimore Watchdog Staff Writer
Bars and restaurants in downtown Catonsville and Arbutus may soon be permitted to play live music if the Baltimore County Council adopts a bill next week to lift the music ban in those two towns.
The legislation that was written and later amended by County Councilman Tom Quirk, who represents both towns, would make changes to the county’s zoning regulations so that owners of restaurants and bars in the central business districts of Catonsville and Arbutus could obtain free permits that would allow them to offer live musical entertainment.
The initial draft of Bill 44-19 caused some confusion and backlash from the members of the community. Musicians in particular said they were afraid that the proposed music regulations were too cumbersome and would deter bar owners from seeking the permits because they would not want the hassle of navigating through too much government bureaucracy.
Quirk, who is the chairman of the council, said he made changes to the bill in response to those concerns so that the permits will be much easier to obtain.
“The phones were ringing off the hook this week because a lot of people did not understand the bill or the consequences of the bill,” said Councilwoman Cathy Bevins, D-6th District.
Attorneys, musicians and community members who spoke during a public hearing Tuesday said they had come to the council’s meeting prepared to fight the bill but were thoroughly pleased with the revisions.
“When I first arrived I thought that I would spend 3 minutes basically getting digs in on said Mr. Chairman,” said Chris Powell, a local musician. “But I got to tell ya’…we were more than floored by what we saw in the amended document.”
Jack Milani, the legislative chairman for the Maryland State Licensed Beverage Associate, said the legislation was important to maintain a healthy entertainment sector in Baltimore County.
“In this time, in this place in the world, you want entertainment,” Milani said. “You’re vying to get people out and spend money. You’re trying to keep them local. If we can keep them in the county instead of venturing out to Anne Arundel or Baltimore, it’s good because the dollar stays with us.”
Thomas H. Bostwick, the council’s legislative counsel and secretary, said current zoning regulations only allow live music in “nightclubs” located in certain business zones. According to county documents, zoning regulations are somewhat ambiguous on whether restaurants and taverns can have live music and under what circumstances. The current bill is designed to clarify those ambiguities.
If approved at the council’s Monday meeting, the bill would go into effect on Oct. 21. It would pertain specifically to the Catonsville and Arbutus commercial revitalization districts.
In Catonsville, this includes the business area along Frederick Road from North Beaumont Avenue to Arbutus Avenue, just west of Interstate 695, and certain streets north and south of that main drag.
In Arbutus, the district includes business along Southwestern Boulevard from Francis Avenue to Beechfield Avenue and parts of Eastern Drive.
George Harman of the Maryland Department of the Environment’s Environmental Assessment and Standard Program, said he is concerned that the residents in the nearby vicinity will have issues with the live music noise.
“You can’t imagine how irritated residents can be until you’re on the phone talking to them, when they say, ‘There’s nothing I can do,’” said Harman.
Quirk said he expects that a vast majority of the businesses in these areas will practice good business.
“We want live music, but we don’t want it where its being uncontrolled, where now all of the neighbors are upset and they feel like there’s nothing they can do,” Quirk said. “Because the businesses really want live music to work, and they also want their neighbors to be their customers. And so, a lot of the time, hopefully it does self-police.”
In other action, the council is also considering a bill that would amend the county’s public health code to bring it into compliance with a new state law that raised the legal age for purchasing tobacco products from 18 to 21.