At its Aug. 7 meeting, Auburn City Council voted to approve a new ordinance that creates a downtown entertainment district.
The entertainment district will only be active on specially designated days or weekends and will allow patrons and revelers to buy an alcoholic drink at one bar or restaurant and leave that establishment to go to another one.
Patrons will also be able to walk around the street with the same drink in tow. Its borders would be approximately from Gay Street to Wright Street from east to west and from Glenn Avenue to Thach Avenue north to south. The southern section of the district would end on its west end at College Street to avoid including the trees and part of Auburn's campus.
Alabama only recently put in place new legislation that made entertainment districts like this possible. Auburn will join Montgomery, Mobile, Tuscaloosa and Orange Beach as other cities with such districts.
"This would allow you to walk into any establishment within the entertainment district that is licensed to sell alcohol, buy a beer or wine or whatever you like, and walk out with it as long as you stay within the confines of the entertainment district," said Assistant City Manager Kevin Cowper.
Auburn City Manager Charlie Duggan hopes Auburn will not abuse the new law.
"We hope the community will come out and support the downtown area while responsibly practicing this new privilege," Duggan said.
This was the second time the council had discussed approval of the ordinance. At the first reading, Ward 8 Councilman Bob Norman voted "no." The second reading needed only a majority vote of the eight member council and approval from Mayor Bill Ham Jr.
Norman voiced his concerns again during the meeting.
"I just think this is a mistake in terms of traffic flow in potentially hurting businesses ... I see a problem with people from out of town; where are they going to park?" Norman said. "I'm not a teetotaler, but is it in the best interest of all the citizens of Auburn to walk around on the street with a cup of beer?"
Duggan tried to assuage Norman's apprehension and said that the city is going to be monitoring the district very closely for any negative incidents.
He said if it appears to be too problematic, the council will be recommended to close the district.
Plans are already under way for the first night of the district on Sept. 14, the night before Auburn hosts its first football game of the fall. Called "AUtumn Night," the event is being put together by the Auburn Downtown Merchants Association, Auburn athletics and the Auburn Chamber of Commerce. The group hopes the event will entice people who may not usually come to the city's downtown area on game weekends. Another AUtumn Night is scheduled for Nov. 16, the night before Auburn's final home game of the season.
Owners and managers from businesses on West Magnolia Avenue voiced worries that their shops would experience a drop off in customers when the event closes traffic for live music.
Chick-fil-A owner Bob McFadden also raised concerns during the citizens' communications portion of Tuesday's meeting.
"I'm asking that if we're not going to host events where everyone can be happy, I'd like for it to be postponed," McFadden said.
Auburn Chamber President Lolly Steiner defended the council's decision.
"We don't want to do something that could potentially hurt downtown businesses," Steiner said. "This is a big event for the community, and we think it could actually help those businesses."
Cowper said the city's stipulations would ensure that the details of the new ordinance are properly enforced and not abused.
"Places like Montgomery and Mobile that have vibrant downtown districts--they'll do that all the time any day of the week," Cowper said. "We're not planning to have that. We're planning on two, possibly three of those Friday night events. We may also have it for our annual ArtWalk that we do in the summer."
Many parts of the ordinance were included specifically to make the events as safe as possible. Coolers pre-loaded with alcohol purchased outside the district will not be allowed, and no glass containers will be allowed either.
"We will have public safety officers down there to ensure that people are not leaving the entertainment district with alcohol or that they are buying alcohol for their underage friends," Cowper said, adding that they will likely have designated cups for alcohol purchased in the district.
The entertainment district would only be designated for certain hours.
"We would end it at a certain time on a Friday night to avoid the college kids," Cowper said. "Downtown is a lot different at 2 a.m. than it is at 8 p.m."
Organizers hope the parking lots and empty areas to the northeast of downtown can be used to host the live music acts.
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