Owners of Baltimore County’s hookah and vapor lounges are condemning new security regulations they say unfairly target their establishments and impose costly rules that are even stricter than those for bars serving alcohol.
Legislation introduced last month by County Councilman Wade Kach, a Lutherville-Timonium Republican, and ultimately approved in a 6-0 vote, requires such establishments to have a certain number of licensed security guards present daily from 7 p.m. to one hour after closing.
The number of security guards is based on the maximum number of people allowed under the lounge’s fire prevention code capacity, multiplied by a ratio of one guard for every 50 people.
Under the formula outlined in the legislation, if a hookah lounge could hold 150 people, for instance, it would be required to have three security guards. And if it could hold 175 people, it would require four security guards. A minimum of two security guards will be required for all lounges, per the bill.
Paramjit Singh, who owns and operates Mazika Hookah Lounge in Parkville and Lotus Lounge in Windsor Mill, said the bill is unfair.
“End of the day, this is a nightlife business just like bars and clubs,” he said. “We should be held to the same standards as them; they’re not required to have security.”
Baltimore County regulations do not require bars to have licensed security guards. However, they are subject to other enforcement mechanisms related to their licenses, such as penalties from the county’s liquor board, which issues liquor licenses and conducts inspections.
Last month, for instance, the liquor board forbade the Greene Turtle in Towson from serving alcohol on Thursdays in October. The action followed concerns about large crowds in downtown Towson, prompted in part by the sports bar’s “Thirsty Thursday” promotion. The Greene Turtle’s Towson location is now planning to close.
The regulation’s sponsor, Kach, was not present when the council voted on the measure. Though Kach and his office did not return requests for comment, Thomas Bostwick, the council’s legislative counsel and secretary, said at the Sept. 9 work session that Kach was trying to fill in a potential gap in the regulations for hookah and vapor lounges.
The six councilmen present at the Oct. 6 meeting debated the specific time frame that security guards would need to be at the lounges. Councilman Julian Jones proposed having guards there from 7 p.m. to midnight as opposed to during all operating hours. Councilman Todd Crandell, a Dundalk Republican, questioned whether the council had enough evidence to make the law.
While Jones’ proposed changes failed, he asked the council to reconsider their vote, prompting Councilman David Marks, an Upper Falls Republican, to suggest requiring security from 7 p.m. to one hour after closing.
“I think one hour after close is reasonable because I think there’s people who do hang around despite the best intentions of owners,” Marks said. “I think that’s a reasonable compromise.”
Jones, who had raised worries about the potential burden to business owners, said the later time would cause the property owner to “pay for security to sit around and do nothing.”
Singh said he already pays more than $8,000 a month for security personnel. He bases his security needs on “what makes sense” to him: one or two security staffers for slower weekdays and three on busy Friday and Saturday nights.
“It definitely adds up,” he said.
Nasser Taha, owner of Towson Nights Hookah Lounge, believes that he and his business are being targeted. Amir Taha, his son who helps run the hookah lounge, said the legislation would add another expense on top of paying rent and electricity bills — and he doesn’t want his dad’s business to fail.
Like Singh, the Tahas, who said their downtown Towson lounge sees 60 to 70 customers on a good night, already bring in security, varying the amount of personnel based on how busy each night is.
This isn’t the first time the county has imposed additional regulations on hookah and vapor lounges.
In 2014, the council passed a bill mandating that hookah lounges be closed between midnight and 6 a.m. Towson Nights Hookah Lounge appealed the mandate, claiming it was unconstitutional. Both the county’s Board of Appeals and the circuit court dismissed the claim. A 2018 ruling by the state’s appellate court also deemed the midnight curfew constitutional.
And last year, the council established use permits for hookah and vapor lounges to operate. That legislation also requires permit holders to maintain video surveillance systems, comply with noise regulations and have their businesses located a certain distance from residential areas.
As of Oct. 8, there were 11 hookah lounges with approved use permits in Baltimore County, according to county records. Towson Nights, Mazika and the Lotus Lounge all have approved operating permits.
The Azuz Hookah Lounge in Woodlawn, the site of a shooting in May that left one person dead and three others injured, did not have a permit to operate.
“One bad apple doesn’t explain everything,” Amir Taha said of the new security requirements.
Have a news tip? Contact Natalie Jones at najones@baltsun.com.