In
a preview of tonight's public hearing on the operating hours of College
Avenue's Golden Light Restaurant, residents showed up at last
Wednesday's Board of Aldermen Licenses and Permits Committee meeting to
make their case for and against allowing restaurants to extend their
hours until 2 a.m.

"For ten years I went through hell," resident
Jim Campano said of living near an establishment that stayed open until
5 a.m. "Nothing good happens after 12 midnight."

Brendan Kearney
was among a handful of Golden Light supporters who showed up to make
the case for owner Bruce Lam, who came with a second petition asking
for the restaurant's hours to be extended.

The Board of Aldermen
first singled out the Golden Light Restaurant's reputation for staying
open the latest in town in October. The Chinese takeout place had
bragged about being open the latest in Somerville for 26 years.

When
the issue was brought up at a Board of Alderman meeting last October,
Ward 6 Alderman Rebekah Gewirtz defended the establishment, saying its
operating hours have not been an issue for her constituents – including
Ciampa Manor, a senior center across the street from the restaurant.

"I
have not gotten any complaints," Gewirtz said. "I have a petition here
from Bruce [Lam] and every signature going onto the third page is 27
College Ave (Ciampa Manor). I just want to be clear that it is not my
sense that this is a raging issue in the community."

The Golden
Light's license had allowed it to stay open until midnight on weekdays
and 1 a.m. on Saturdays, while it is reported to have regularly stayed
open until 3 a.m. throughout the week.

In defending the
restaurant's request for extended hours, Kearney said having food
options like the Golden Light in Davis Square makes life easier for
residents who would otherwise have to seek out late-night food in
Boston.

"I want Somerville to be the location where I want to go
out and where I want to live," Kearney said. "I don't want to have to
go to Boston and spend $20 on a cab both ways. I'd rather walk to Davis
Square.

"Especially the way the economy is these days," he
added, "I don't think we should be hurting people who are willing to
work hard and stay open until 1 o'clock or 2 o'clock in the morning."

"We're
not trying to hurt anyone," Committee Chair Bruce Desmond responded.
"We want the businesses to do well … we want folks to have a place to
go and eat and we want the neighbors as well not to be disturbed in the
early morning hours. We're trying to find the comfort zone on this
whole thing – certainly not to hurt anyone."

Responding to
concerns from Somerville Police Captain John O'Connor, commander of the
Western district, that police have already dedicated too many resources
to enforcing operating hours, Heuston said any violator should be
forced to appear before the committee.

"The ultimate fine – as
you know with one establishment in my ward – the thing that really made
them tow the line is you push back their hours," she said. "If there is
such a business, you should communicate to us that there is and we will
schedule a hearing to revoke their hours. I will be the first to do
that."

Heuston then requested that the owners of Royal White
Laundry and the Burger King on Somerville Avenue appear before the
committee to account for repeated violations of their operating hours.
She also asked Inspectional Services Division Chairman George Landers
to find out if Red House in Union Square is violating its hours.

The hearing on the Golden Light Restaurant's hours will take place Jan. 21 at 6 p.m.