"I've been in operation for 25 years and had maybe three cop calls to my bar in that time," said Henry's Inn owner Jack Stearns.

Stearns challenged the council to crack down on the trouble spots rather than enacting new laws that put all of the city's barkeeps at a disadvantage.

The council deliberated over whether to keep the cap on Class C beer licenses at 15 - and to eliminate licenses as bars close or change hands to reduce the current number to that level.

The council opted to put off the decision to a future meeting and asked tavern owners to offer alternative ideas in the meantime.

This central Salt Lake Valley city of 22,000 residents has close to two dozen bars clustered on or near heavily-traveled State Street.

Some are cozy neighborhood nooks that have welcomed imbibers for several decades. But the proposed amendment to the ordinance would mean that owners who want to sell would likely take a loss, having to find buyers who would change the use of the property.

South Salt Lake property owner Tiffanie Provost said what the council has in mind seems almost unconstitutional.

"You would never do that to any other business," Provost said. "The bars have been here longer than anyone in this room. It's a corridor of industry, not Holladay city."

City Attorney David Carlson cited several studies from other areas of the country that linked a high concentration of taverns to increased crime and driving-under-the-influence arrests.

But resident Charlee Kone cautioned the council not to lay all the blame on the bars.

"The city has a high percentage of rentals. You should look more closely at that," Kone said. "I don't believe neighborhood bars pose a threat to the community. They provide a social haven for those who would otherwise be alone."

cmckitrick@sltrib.com