HELEN — Despite a petition from restaurants and others, the Helen City Commission will not allow open alcohol containers in the city, known as Georgia’s Alpine Village.
Commissioners said Helen, one of the top three tourist destinations in Georgia, is a family-oriented place and that maintaining controls on alcohol is an important part of keeping that atmosphere.
“Two weeks ago, we were presented with a petition,” Mayor Jeff Ash said following the meeting. “That petition needed to be addressed. Each of [the city officials], including the department heads, took a look at it and it is just not in the best interest of this town. Period.”
Richard Miley of Catch 22 Gastropub again asked the commission to approve open containers, citing a handful of other Georgia cities that are having success with designating areas where open alcohol containers are allowed.
Former mayors Dona K. Burke and Helen Wilkins asked questions, as did a couple of other people.
During discussion of the issue, Commissioner Steve Fowler was one of the most outspoken on the issue.
“I’m very pro-business for the city of Helen,” Fowler said. “I think it’s healthy for the city for a business to grow and prosper. I also was elected to represent the citizens of the city, and I’ve talked to as many as I could and haven’t found any that were supportive of open containers. Personally, I haven’t seen any data or information that would demonstrate that it would increase business. I personally think there is an opportunity that it could decrease it or, as you say, it might stay the same. I just don’t see the benefit of it.”
Fowler said currently the city is able to regulate underage drinking by training servers, by issuing server permits and by educating license holders on the importance of not serving to underage patrons and not overserving alcohol to someone. Allowing open alcohol containers could negate that, he said.
“To me, I just see no benefit from it, and I would make a motion that we not change our current container law, and not allow open containers in the city,” Fowler said.
That motion eventually was seconded by Commissioner Geneva Elwell.
During discussion, Commissioner Cinnamon Spurlock said she received a number of concerns from those in the city about the potential change that would allow open containers.
“I’ve spoken with a few of the businesses that were on the list and several that were not on the list, specifically one of the largest parking lots in town,” Spurlock said. “The concerns that they had are absolutely founded.”
Spurlock said that concern of parking lot owners is that if open containers were allowed people would begin to hold “tailgate parties” in those parking lots, necessitating additional employees.
Commissioner Lee Landress weighed in on the issue as well.
“I’ve said before I’m fundamentally not against open containers, but I see no way we could make it work,” Landress said. “The enforcement, controlling what goes in the cup and where it came from — you can add so many things that there’s no way it wouldn’t cost. I don’t see where the city would benefit from it.”
Ash also shared his thoughts on the matter before commissioners voted.
“We’ve finally got the town where it’s enjoyable,” Ash said. “You can go in any establishment in this town and have a ball, but you’re not going to walk out of it with a beer in your hand!”
Apparently Tuesday’s vote didn’t dissuade Miley, who asked what information officials wanted so he could raise the issue again, but commissioners said the issue is decided.
