Miami Beach urgently needs to get crowds under control. Cutting off drinks at 2 a.m. is a start | Editorial

Miami Beach’s hard-partying image became an international embarrassment in the past few weeks, with unmasked spring breakers ignoring the COVID-19 pandemic, outbreaks of violence and police firing pepper balls to disperse crowds. The emergency curfew put out the immediate fire. But the city has to do more, and quickly.

Miami Beach Mayor Dan Gelber’s idea, to impose a 2 a.m. “last call’ for alcoholic drinks in Miami Beach’s entertainment district, is a good start. With exceptions built in for some late-night clubs to obtain special licenses, it seems like a reasonable compromise between tourism-driven businesses and locals who have sometimes felt like hostages in their own homes during spring break.

The 2 a.m. cutoff may not address the whole question of how to keep the party under control in South Beach, but we’re glad to see Gelber tackling the issue head on. He understands the urgency. Urban Beach Week, held to coincide with the Memorial Day weekend, is two months away. And while we don’t yet know if COVID curfews will still be in place then, in non-COVID times, drinks can be served citywide until 5 a.m.

Previous effort fails

Miami Beach has struggled with the last-call question before. In 2017, a referendum that would have set last call at 2 a.m. failed, with about 65 percent of voters saying No. As recently as July, Gelber unsuccessfully pushed the City Commission to roll back last call to midnight, part of a host of changes to steer South Beach toward a future as an arts and cultural district. Critics said the rollback to midnight wouldn’t help because partying has continued even with a pandemic.

Businesses likely to be affected this time around understandably are unhappy. Some say the effort unfairly singles them out and that the city should focus on more effective fixes, such as adding police on the streets. David Wallack, owner of Mango’s Tropical Cafe, said a 2 a.m. cutoff would substantially hurt his business, especially if other places in Miami and the Beach are open until 4 a.m. or 5 a.m. Mango’s has been closed since last spring, but he wants to reopen April 21. “If they just target Ocean Drive and our area to shut it down early, they’re going to trigger a depression, a serious depression,” he told the Editorial Board.

It’s complicated

But there’s no doubt some Miami Beach residents want change. Dozens rallied at City Hall earlier this month to complain about South Beach’s party-round-the-clock scene and crowd-management failures. A Miami-Dade Community Relations Board “listening session” this week was focused on spring-break tensions.

Gelber acknowledges this is a complex problem. The 2 a.m. cutoff is part of a 12-point plan for the “Art Deco Cultural District” with provisions to reduce noise, ban oversized cocktails, make Ocean Drive pedestrian friendly and increase policing. The late-night licenses would also come with caveats: Businesses would have to show they have adequate security and a record of complying with City Hall. That would keep everyone safer, including club-goers.

Gelber told the Miami Herald that if he can’t get the changes through the City Commission, he wants voters to have their say through a referendum.

That’s wise.

But the discussion right now is important all on its own. To create a safer, saner South Beach, business must have a voice along with residents. This is a community problem. It needs a community solution.