Auburn moves to create downtown, Old Town "entertainment zones" to allow open-container walking areas

Jonathan Wright, Auburn’s economic development director, told the Planning Commission that the city is preparing a draft ordinance to create entertainment zones in Old Town and downtown Auburn that would let patrons leave licensed establishments with an alcoholic beverage within specified public-right-of-way areas.

Wright said the idea grew from temporary outdoor allowances issued during the COVID-19 emergency and subsequent state legislation. “So SB 9 69 came out, went into effect in January,” he said, and Auburn business groups welcomed the idea. Wright said the city worked with the police chief and business districts to draft time, place and manner regulations tied to state ABC requirements.

The draft ordinance defines mapped zones (a downtown corridor from the Station Public House area down Lincoln Way to the State Theater and a smaller Old Town loop near the courthouse), limits days and hours of operation, and sets container and serving-size rules. Wright said the proposal would limit beer to 12-ounce servings and wine to 5-ounce servings; mixed drinks would be limited to the equivalent of 1 ounce of distilled spirit in a 12-ounce mixed beverage. The draft also requires city-approved, branded disposable cups and an operator license; licensed businesses would have to train staff to check IDs and stamp cups so enforcement can distinguish properly carded patrons.

Wright described the effort as an experiment the city can revise. He said the earliest implementation date—if council grants the second reading at its next meeting and the city observes the 30-day window—would be the day before Thanksgiving. Wright said he will return to council with a resolution creating licensing and fee details if the ordinance is adopted.

Commissioners asked about materials allowed for cups, enforcement and whether other nearby cities had similar programs. Wright said the state statute prohibits glass and metal containers on the street; the draft calls for recyclable or compostable nonglass cups. He told the commission he had shared the draft with nearby jurisdictions and that a number of other Northern California cities have pursued similar rules.

Why it matters: supporters told the commission they expect the zones to extend evening activity, increase pedestrian traffic and help small restaurants and shops capture later-evening business. The city intends to use a licensing mechanism to tie ABC licensees’ on-street privileges to local enforcement, including the ability to suspend or revoke a business’s entertainment-zone license.

Next steps: Wright said city council will consider the ordinance for a second reading at its next meeting; if approved and following the 30-day implementation period, the ordinance could take effect shortly before Thanksgiving. Staff said they will bring a resolution with licensing and fee details for council action after adoption.