A proposal to expand Cullman's current Special Events District is headed to the city council after clearing the planning commission Monday. If approved, the district would extend from Depot Park to the Busy Bee Cafe, seen Monday afternoon.

A proposal to expand Cullman’s current Special Events District — where alcohol consumption rules are relaxed during city-approved functions — is headed to the city council after clearing the planning commission Monday.

The Cullman Planning Commission held a public hearing Monday where two — Randy Britt and Ron Pierce — spoke in favor of the plan and another, Joe Wilhite, opposed it. It went on to approve recommending the change to the city council, Councilman Andy Page abstaining.

If approved by the city council, the special events district would triple in size, spanning seven city blocks.

Since enacting the district in 2013, someone attending a city-sanctioned festival like Oktoberfest can buy a beer at Festhalle, then walk over to Depot Park to shop or view exhibits. But, when there are no events taking place, the blocks revert back to a normal downtown area under a normal, no-open container law.

The city has direct control over alcohol sales, with the Park and Recreation Board as the only designated vendor allowed to sell alcohol in the zone. The park board sub-licenses vendors to handle alcohol sales at events, such as Oktoberfest, if they meet all pre-existing requirements as a vendor.

The original district encompasses Depot Park, the Festhalle and parking lot behind the Cullman County Museum. The proposed district would expand the district to run between the railroad tracks and Second Avenue Southeast, from the Cullman Police Department parking lot to Busy Bee Cafe at Fifth Street Southeast.

The special zone allows for alcohol sales and open containers in public areas, like sidewalks, however Cullman officials retain the power to “open” and “close” the district between events. That means you can’t buy an alcoholic beverage and walk down First Avenue legally unless it’s during a city-approved event — like Oktoberfest.

On Monday, Pierce and Britt spoke of the benefits an expanded district would have for further development downtown.

“It’s very important for our city to have special events that run from Festhalle all the way down to the Busy Bee,” Pierce said. “We’ve got a few empty buildings there, and we need to show a lot of activity in one of those blocks down there. Cullman is a wonderful place. People come here for our special events, and I just think it all needs to be covered under the new ordinance.”

Wilhite voiced concern over what an expanded district would mean for the community’s youth.

“This city is going to the dogs,” he said following the meeting. “There are people who are trying to turn Cullman into a party town. They say this district is based on Huntsville’s, well who wants to be like Huntsville? If you want to party and drink out in the middle of the street, then go to Huntsville and do it.”

Resident Virginia Key told The Times she couldn’t attend Monday’s public hearing but also had concerns about her perceived efforts to “ruin Cullman as a family-oriented community.”

“Cullman used to be a special place,” she said. “But we’re going away from that. We don’t need people going down the streets with their beer cans and bottles. I’m very much against it.”

The city council’s next meeting is 7 p.m., Monday where it could take up the issue.