NEWS BAY AREA. >> HI, I'M SARA DONCHEY. THERE HAVE BEEN SO MANY IDEAS ABOUT HOW THE CITY OF SAN FRANCISCO SHOULD ADDRESS TROUBLES IN THE TENDERLOIN. DRUG USE, DRUG DEALING, CRIME, HOMELESSNESS, BLIGHT, THEY'VE ALL BEEN HOTLY CONTESTED ISSUES. MOST PEOPLE AGREE SOMETHING NEEDS TO BE DONE, BUT GETTING PEOPLE TO AGREE ON WHAT TO DO ABOUT IT HASN'T BEEN EASY. AND NOW A NEW IDEA FROM THE MAYOR'S OFFICE HAS BUSINESS OWNERS PRETTY MAD. THE CITY IS TRYING TO RESTRICT WHAT CERTAIN CORNER STORES CAN SELL AFTER SUN DOWN. TONIGHT OUR LAUREN TOMS TALKED TO A MAN WHO THINKS THIS IDEA IS THE WRONG APPROACH. >> I WANT MY NEIGHBORHOOD BACK. >> Reporter: AT WHAT COST? >> THERE IS NO COST. I USED TO HAVE A COST, BUT NOT NOW. I WANT MY NEIGHBORHOOD BACK. IT'S NOT FAIR. >> Reporter: HE'S CALLED SAN FRANCISCO HIS HOME FOR NEARLY FOUR DECADES, EVEN BEING DUBBED THE UNOFFICIAL MAYOR OF THE TENDERLOIN, BUT AFTER DARK, THE NEIGHBORHOOD HE KNOWS AND LOVES TURNS INTO AN UNRECOGNIZABLE NIGHTMARE. >> WHEN I WAS LIVING THERE AND WHEN I WAS ON THE STREETS, BY 9:00, 10:00 AT NIGHT WE WENT TO BED IN THE TENT, ON THE MATTRESS, WHEREVER. NOW THE TENDERLOIN DON'T EVEN START UNTIL 10:00 AT NIGHT. >> Reporter: THAT'S WHEN MANY OF THE COMMUNITY SERVICES LIKE URBAN ALCHEMY LEAVE THE AREA AS PART OF THEIR CONTRACT WITH THE CITY. BUT THE CITY IS TRYING A NEW TACTIC TO CRACK DOWN ON OPEN AIR DRUG MARKETS. MAYOR LONDON BREED ANNOUNCED A PLAN TO BAN STORES IN THE AREA FROM SELLING PREPACKAGED FOOD OR TOBACCO PRODUCTS BETWEEN MIDNIGHT AND 5:00 A.M. >> WHEN WE LOOKED AT THE DATA AROUND SOME OF OUR KIND OF CORNER STORE OPERATIONS, WE DISCOVERED THAT THAT WAS WHERE WE HAD THE MOST PROBLEM, ESPECIALLY AT NIGHT. >> Reporter: BREED PUSHED THE PLAN AT AN EVENT FOR SMALL BUSINESSES IN THE TENDERLOIN THAT HAVE STRUGGLED GETTING CUSTOMERS IN THE DOOR BECAUSE OF THE SCENES OUTSIDE. >> WE GOT TO CLEAN UP OUR STREETS FIRST. NO ONE WILL COME. >> Reporter: BUT THE IDEA OF RESTRICTING SALES AT CORNER MARKETS ISN'T WELCOMED BY EVERYONE. WE TALKED TO ONE SHOP OWNER WHO PINS THE PROBLEM ON THE CITY'S HOUSING STRUGGLES. >> THEY'RE JUST TRYING TO BLAME BUSINESSES FOR, YOU KNOW, FOR BEING OPEN ALL NIGHT. BUT I DON'T THINK THAT'S THE ISSUE, SO HOMELESSNESS HAS BEEN GOING ON IN SAN FRANCISCO FOR LIKE MORE THAN 10, 15 YEARS. >> Reporter: BUT IT'S A STRATEGY THE CITY HAS TRIED BEFORE IN THE AREA. SEYMOUR REMEMBERS WHEN THE CITY RESTRICTED ALCOHOL SALES TO CURB RELATED CRIME AND EVEN 25 YEARS LATER HE'S CONFIDENT IT COULD HELP, BUT ALONE IT'S NOT ENOUGH. >> MAYBE 20%, 30%. THAT'S WHAT I'M PREDICTING. BECAUSE I WAS HERE WHEN IT HAPPENED BEFORE. WE WERE NEVER THIS MESSED UP. >> Reporter: EVEN SO, HIS EFFORTS TO RETURN THE TENDERLOIN TO A PLACE HE LOVES ARE UNCONDITIONAL. >> IF THE
