May/June 2007

Where's The Party?

Diverse perspectives on the issue of controlling late night naughtiness at the Virginia Beach Oceanfront.

By Ben Swenson

A warm summer breeze blows in from the Atlantic. Police officers and bouncers goad idlers toward parking lots. A street preacher holds a placard, admonishing passersby to forsake their sinful ways. Twenty-somethings, some stumbling, decked out in trendy clothes, move along the sidewalks in groups -- fumbling for keys, lighting cigarettes and ready to call it a night. It is 2 a.m. in Virginia Beach.

Well after dark, the Oceanfront remains a hub of activity. While the bulk of visiting beachgoers are nested snugly in their hotel rooms for the evening, restaurants along the resort strip serve up food, drinks and entertainment into the wee hours of the morning.

While the late-night partying seems innocent enough, locals and policymakers in Virginia Beach consistently raise concerns about the atmosphere created by the presence of young crowds, alcohol and the establishments that combine them. Specifically, restaurant owners, residents and police officers want to curtail the illegal behavior -- fights, drug use, public intoxication -- that sometimes occurs when the Oceanfront nightspots shut down for the evening.

The Virginia Beach government made a vow to make the city a more "family friendly" place after a Labor Day Greekfest in 1989 resulted in riots and looting. The city has come a long way since tension between police and students escalated to a level that caused extreme behavior during this event. Most people appreciate the strong efforts to prevent late-night rabblerousing that could lead to something like this happening again, but some bar owners and patrons worry that the city is being a bit too stringent lately.

The owners of the establishments insist that they can't be responsible for behavior that occurs on city streets, particularly since they are legally operating restaurants, and that they shouldn't be portrayed in a bad light or encouraged to shut down. Residents and law enforcement officers claim that troublesome behavior often caused by excessive drinking at these places violates others' rights. There is no simple solution.

Remedies implemented by city leaders -- early parking lot closures, ample lights, easy listening music and strong police presence -- have shown some promise in solving a few of the most vexing problems. However, some bar owners claim that these measures are harmful not only for their businesses, but for the Oceanfront at large.

Brandon Beigay, project manager, Dominion Enterprises

Beigay, a 26-year-old native of Virginia Beach, has spent a fair amount of time enjoying the Oceanfront's nightlife and believes that, as a place for younger adults to enjoy themselves, the area is likable. While he does not deny that there are troublemakers at the beach after dark, as there would be in any crowd, he feels that the characterization of the area as a hotbed of illicit behavior is way off base.

"I've never felt unsafe down there at the Oceanfront," he says. "There are some people who go down there looking for trouble, but you could find that just as easily anywhere as in Virginia Beach."

According to Beigay, the number of police officers that patrol the area is sufficient to control, and in most cases, deter, any untoward behavior that occurs. He says officers know that virtually everyone is drinking and therefore crack down only on those individuals who truly pose a threat to the security of that environment.

Beigay believes that the responsibility for late-night problems at the Oceanfront lies with the individuals who choose to act illegally. "The bars do a good job of hiring staff. The bouncers can get control of a situation pretty quickly if necessary. I'm not sure there is much else that the bars could do besides stop selling alcohol," he says, deeming that option an unrealistic one.

John Uhrin, Virginia Beach councilman, Beach - District 6

Uhrin acknowledges the late-night behavior at the Oceanfront is one of Virginia Beach's imperative concerns, although he is quick to point out that i is not a new issue. "The Oceanfront has attracted younger, more rowdy groups, particularly in the late evening, for a long time," he says.

The problem, concedes Uhrin, is that the city has to mix the younger groups in with families, each of which tend to have certain behavioral patterns. The city, therefore, must walk a fine line to accommodate -- and provide a safe atmosphere for -- all sorts of people.

The population of the Oceanfront swells in the summer, a fact of life for a resort community. The sheer volume of individuals during the season creates safety concern for all parties involved. Uhrin believes that the city has a responsibility to make sure that these guests and residents enjoy themselves without incident.

Uhrin is encouraged by the progress that Virginia Beach is making toward creating a safer environment at the Oceanfront, such as early parking lot closures and a bill passed by the General Assembly allowing cities to bypass some of the bureaucratic red tape when confronting businesses that might be harmful to the community. Improved crowd management at the Oceanfront is something in which Uhrin has a vest interest; aside from sitting on the council, he supervises operations of six city hotels.

"We want anybody who is trying to enjoy the Oceanfront, regardless of who they are, to b able to walk around and feel safe," he says.

For the rest of this story, including more viewpoints on Oceanfront behavior, see the May/June issue of Hampton Roads Magazine, currently available on newsstands.