EL CAJON, Calif. (FOX 5/KUSI) -- City leaders in El Cajon are closer to lifting a nearly 30-year ban that would make it easier for bars and restaurants to open, especially in the downtown area. Current zoning regulations limit alcohol permits and some restaurants and bars said they have made it difficult for them to be part of the fabric of the community. Proposed housing development fuels controversy among Point Loma neighbors “There were a lot of problems, a lot of problems with drugs and prostitution and we wanted to clean it up,” said El Cajon Mayor Bill Wells. “We thought one of the ways we could clean it up was to eliminate the amount of alcohol that can be sold down here.” Wells said now those issues have improved and times have changed, so city council recently voted to consider lifting the regulations. Magnolia Theatre attracts thousands of concertgoers to the area each year for shows, as do festivals and the car show. Area cafes and restaurants that currently operate without a liquor license are hopeful for a change. Alaska Airlines to add new nonstop flights between San Diego, Washington, D.C. “Families come in and they don’t just want to eat, they want to drink and have fun,” said Isabel Mary Oshana who helps run her family’s business, Sultana Baklava, in downtown El Cajon. Sultan Baklava has an adjacent restaurant but they have been unable to serve alcohol and, as a result, have lost customers who go elsewhere, including downtown San Diego. “It would be good for business,” Oshana said. Wells says the council has asked staff to determine a plan for how to move forward and says if all goes well this could be closer to a reality by early next year.