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Dorchester County moves ahead with 2 a.m. closings
By Dan McCue
Staff Writer
Dorchester County Council moved forward with a proposal to require nightclubs serving alcohol to close by 2 a.m. in spite of pleas from bar owners that the council consider alternatives.
The 4-2 vote kept the ordinance proposed by council Chairman Larry Hargett before the full council rather than moving it to the safety subcommittee for review.
As a result, the ordinance will receive a second reading and will be the subject of a public hearing at the council’s next meeting, Feb. 5, in St. George. If the proposed ordinance doesn’t meet any unexpected roadblocks, it will be read for a third time Feb. 19 and, if approved by the council, will go into effect immediately thereafter.
The two dissenting council members didn’t balk at the intent of the proposal, but they did ask for more time to compare the ordinance to similar laws adopted in Charleston and North Charleston and to clarify which businesses would ultimately have to comply.
The ordinance was proposed in the wake of a Jan. 4 killing near Club Echelon on Ashley Phosphate Road.
Dale Aldridge, who addressed the council on behalf of Club Echelon, said while it was unfortunate that a young man died near the establishment, there was no evidence the man had been in the club that night, a position that was corroborated by Michael Turner, a special operations officer with the Dorchester County Sheriff’s Department.
“We’ve been in business for 10 years now, and have made several improvements to the outside of our property specifically to make it safer,” said Aldridge. He would not disclose whether he has any ownership in the club.
But Hargett was undeterred, saying that even if the killing was not connected to Club Echelon or to another club in the area, recent action by other municipalities and complaints about noise from county residents living near the establishments made the ordinance a necessity.
“These clubs are in my district, and I’ve seen a marked increase in complaints since the North Charleston early closing ordinance went into effect on Jan. 1,” he said. “People can’t sleep at night. I have to respond to those concerns.”
Patronage at these establishments is low this time of year, Turner said.
“What we’re concerned about is the spring and the summer, when people will start staying out later,” he said.
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