SAN ANTONIO — San Antonio City Council will discuss and potentially vote Thursday on installing a curfew at Hemisfair Park, a popular downtown gathering spot for families and pedestrians touristing the heart of the city.
The change would come via an update to City Code striking Hemisfair Park as one of the exceptions to the rule on city-owned public parks, nearly all of which close from 11 p.m. to 5 a.m. Currently, only six parks are excused from the ordinance, though one of them, Woodlawn Lake Park, is closed from midnight to 5 a.m.
According to City Council presentation materials, Parks and Recreation Department staff are recommending the curfew, saying that the Hemisfair Park Area Redevelopment Corporation, tenants and "surrounding stakeholders" support the move. Those who live in the area or are walking through to get to their hotel room or car would be excused—exceptions the city would call "affirmative defense."
Councilman Marc Whyte, the representative for District 10, said earlier this summer that all stakeholders were invited to the process, adding "the business owners are for it."
Andres Andujar, the CEO of Hemisfair, said he seen the park change in the past 11 years. It isn't uncommon, he said, to see people walking through at midnight, if not later. In addition to the family-friendly Yanaguana Park, the area houses popular eateries, Instituto Cultural de Mexico, Magik Theatre and entry to Civic Park.
"Occasionally people will gather here and begin celebrations that are way past the midnight point," Andujar said. "And there are residents and hotel guests that will hear that activity. Without a curfew, we cannot ask those visitors that are enjoying their time at late hours to move on to another location that would be less disruptive."
At the same time, Hemisfair Park isn't a problem area for San Antonio police, who also said more than half of all calls happen between 7 a.m. and 10 p.m. That would be outside of the proposed curfew hours.
For Hemisfair, however, the proposed ordinance is preventative in nature.
"Perception is very critical for a destination like Hemisfair in that we need to protect," Andjuar said. "It's the perception of security and the actual delivery of security, so this (proposed curfew) is preventive, largely, but in response to what we have noticed in the area with more and more activity that's taking place this year."
City Council will consider the proposal at its Thursday meeting, which gets underway at 9 a.m.
