Letter: Miami Beach alcohol sales idea may brew trouble

The Collins Park Neighborhood Association’s (CPNA) Board of Directors recently met and discussed the proposed cut back to Spring Break hours in the City of Miami Beach’s Entertainment District.

The original proposal was 2 a.m. for 17 days, but that was cut back to 12 days with a 3 a.m. close only in the Entertainment District upon the city commission’s first read. It seemed the 17 days penalized the annual Winter Party and Winter Music Conference. Does that mean special events negate Spring Break problems?

If that is the case, why did the city not plan for special events as originally discussed after last year’s fiasco for the middle of March weekends?

The CPNA board sent letters asking the commission not to roll back the hours for any part of Spring Break. It clearly does not solve the problem of the scores of people who come to our beach and are still here when the city proposes to close the bars. Many of these visitors bring their own booze and don’t even go into our businesses.

The commission is punishing the wrong people. Problems happen on the streets and on the beach and that is mostly not between 3 and 5 a.m. These patrons will be forced into other neighborhoods that will still be open and not prepared for the inundation of unruly revelers, including our Collins Park neighborhood.

We are not asking the commission to close down all of Miami Beach at 3 a.m., but if they do not, they have set our city up for a class action lawsuit for clear discrimination against the Entertainment District and that could cost our taxpayers dearly.

This solution is too late and does not address the real problem. Leave the hours as they are, with a 5 a.m. closing for all.

Ray Breslin,

president,

CPNA,Miami Beach