Laserfiche WebLink
Page 3 of 9 <br />City of Redwood City 1017 Middlefield Road, Redwood City, CA. 94063 Tel: 650-780-7000 www.redwoodcity.org <br />As required by SB 969, staff notified the Police Department of the proposed Entertainment Zone <br />establishment and consulted with them in the development of the proposed ordinance, including a <br />coordination meeting held on April 28, 2026, to review and receive feedback about the potential health <br />and safety impacts that might be generated by the Entertainment Zone and strategies to mitigate those <br />impacts, the Entertainment Zone’s proposed boundaries, days and hours of operation, types of alcoholic <br />beverages permitted, approved nonglass and nonmetal containers, operational considerations, and <br />enforcement protocols. <br />ANALYSIS <br />The City is committed to supporting a vibrant and economically thriving Downtown. Multiple California <br />cities, including San Francisco, San Jose, and Mountain View, have adopted ordinances to create <br />Entertainment Zones throughout their downtowns, largely activated as part of special events. Instead of <br />an event organizer hiring an outside beer or wine vendor to offer alcoholic beverages for sale, the ABC <br />licensees within the designated entertainment Zone can sell their drinks “to go”, for consumption on the <br />public right of way within the zone. Businesses in the Yerba Buena Entertainment Zones area have <br />reported increases of sales during events by up to 700%. <br />The Pedestrian Mall was selected as the first Entertainment Zone because it is closed to vehicular traffic, <br />there is a sufficient density of ABC licensees, and there are clear entrances and exits, all of which make <br />the zone easier to manage. <br />The City is required to define days and hours of possible operation in the ordinance, but it also has the <br />authority to determine standards under which the zone is “activated”. As part of the initial <br />implementation of Entertainment Zones in Redwood City, which represents the first time the City is <br />actively encouraging events on the Pedestrian Mall, only City staff may “activate” the zone. When a zone <br />7.A. - Page 3 of 16 <br />69