LAGUNA BEACH : Nonsmoking Push Angers Restaurateurs

A City Council decision this week to push toward a total restaurant smoking ban by 1994 has infuriated restaurant owners, who favored a more moderate plan to expand nonsmoking areas.

Last year, the council backed off the smoking ban when restaurateurs jammed City Hall to protest, saying it would sound the death knell for businesses already staggered by the recession. In response, the council formed a task force composed mostly of representatives from city hotels and restaurants to come up with another plan.

That proposal, which went before the council Tuesday, called for the city’s current requirement that 60% of all restaurants be set aside for nonsmokers to be increased to 70% next year and 80% in 1994.

The council rejected the task force’s plan and voted to devise another that would ban smoking by 1994.

“It seems to me we’ve talked about this enough,” Mayor Robert F. Gentry said. “I would really like to see Laguna Beach be a smoke-free city.”

Business owners have asked the council to hold off on a complete ban until restaurant smoking is outlawed statewide. Laguna Beach already has one of the toughest anti-smoking laws in Orange County.

“Why do we have to be the first?” asked Terry Neptune, a restaurant owner. “God in heaven. Does the poor businessman need this on top of everything else?”

But Gentry and Councilman Neil G. Fitzpatrick said they think business revenues will hold steady or even increase when restaurants are smoke-free.

“I honestly don’t believe it will hurt,” Fitzpatrick said. “I think a year and a half from now we ought to be 100% nonsmoking in the city.”

Councilwoman Martha Collison cast the dissenting vote without comment Tuesday.