Two local municipalities have further developments on proposals for social drinking districts within their borders.
Gibsonville mayor Lenny Williams has asked for a reconsideration of action the board of aldermen took last month, 4-1, expanding the town’s social drinking district from event-specific occasions to allowing it every Thursday, Friday, and Saturday.
The town’s amended ordinance establishes a permanent social drinking district with hours of 4:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m. on Thursdays and Fridays and 12:00 noon to 10:00 p.m. on Saturdays.
Alamance News publisher Tom Boney, Jr. raised the question during the discussion at the July 15 meeting whether the drinking district should apply during popular, family-oriented events such as the town’s Lighting of the Green (a Friday night in late November) and its annual Christmas parade (typically a Saturday afternoon in mid-December).
Williams is suggesting the board consider “deactivation” of the social drinking district hours during three of the town’s popular, family-oriented events – the two Boney had mentioned, as well as the Fall Festival.
The Fall Festival is typically conducted on the second Saturday in October; this year, the event is scheduled for Saturday, October 12.
Mebane
Meanwhile, a continuation of discussion on an agenda item from the city council’s July 1 meeting will not, in fact, be considered Monday night when the city council next meets.
The general manager of Tanger Outlets asked city officials for the creation of a social drinking district at the outlet mall at 4000 Arrowhead Boulevard in Mebane, which backs up to I-85/40.
However, city officials have discovered that state law does not sanction social drinking districts on private property. Thus, the item has been removed from the council’s August 5 agenda.
The city council recently approved a one-year trial run for a downtown social drinking district that operates between 11:00 a.m. and 10:00 p.m. between Clay and Seventh streets. Also included in the downtown social district is a shared retail space with about a half-dozen merchants, the Little Shops of Mebane, along North Third Street.
