Pedestrians and bar patrons could soon be allowed to wander downtown with a mojito in hand if the ordinance that was presented to New Port Richey Council members passes in two weeks.

The new ordinance was prepared at the direction of council members who had asked that the City’s alcohol ordinance be revised to allow for greater flexibility for alcoholic events hosted by local 501(c)3 non-profit organizations and downtown bars. The ordinance contains provisions allowing for automatic approval of events held downtown at “Railroad Square,” and gives some authority to the City Manager to determine which events may need further authorization. You can read the full ordinance here, if you wish.

It also defines a “wet zone” downtown that allows patrons from the city’s bars to carry alcoholic beverages on sidewalks and across specific crosswalks over Grand Boulevard. According to the language of the ordinance presented at Tuesday’s council meeting, and obtained by NewsPortRichey, any and all alcoholic drinks will be allowed to be carried around downtown at an “outdoor event” so long as the business owner provides the City with 30 days notice. Hard liquor will become fair game for outdoor events downtown.

The zone that is defined in the ordinance includes Railroad Square (Nebraska Avenue one block east and one block west of Grand Boulevard), City parking lots to the South of Main Street, and sidewalks and crosswalks that connect those areas.

There is no limit placed on the number of events a business can have per year. Alcohol permits on city property other than Railroad Square are still limited to Sims Park or other properties, but the limit of 8 events for all organizations combined has been lifted. It is now limited to three events per organization.

I have two overall reactions to this ordinance. The first is, “who cares?” It’s a moral issue for the City and its residents, surely. That said, it’s small potatoes in a City where prostitution, foreclosures, and building vacancy is running rampant. Repealing open container laws is certainly not the silver bullet that the City needs, but it may be all that New Port Richey’s current council members are capable of coming up with.

The second reaction is that New Port Richey is looking to spend nearly $12 million dollars in the near future on completely revamping Sims Park and the downtown area, hoping to make it family friendly. If that’s the goal, why would the Council opt to unleash alcohol is such a fashion? It’s a dichotomy that will continue to haunt the City’s efforts to market itself. You can have one or the other–family friendly or party friendly–but it is very unlikely that you can have both.

By Jon Tietz