City considers expanding special events district
Published 10:00 pm Monday, June 5, 2017
- The original special events district, SE-1, is seen here in red alongside the proposed expanded special events district which would run along the railroad tracks and Second Avenue Southeast, from the Cullman Police Department to Busy Bee Cafe at Fifth Street Southeast.
Cullman is considering expanding its downtown special events district — where alcohol regulations are relaxed to allow people to drink more openly.
The Cullman City Council rescheduled a public hearing set for Monday night to July 10 to discuss the proposed ordinance. If approved, the the Special Events District, or SE-1, would triple in size, spanning seven city blocks.
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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.
Since enacting the district in 2013, a visitor to a local 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 Planning Commission will hold a public hearing on the ordinance at 5:30 p.m. July 10 prior to the city council meeting 7 p.m. Read the full proposed ordinance online at cullmantimes.com.
