Pender County commissioners deny proposed alcohol-permit change for parks' special events

The Pender County Board of Commissioners on Jan. 6 voted to deny consideration of a proposed amendment to the county's alcohol-in-parks ordinance that would have created a permitting pathway for alcohol sales at specially permitted events in county parks.

The amendment would have allowed event organizers to apply for a separate permit authorizing alcohol at designated special events, such as summer concert series, festivals, 5Ks or youth-league post-event gatherings, county staff told commissioners during a public hearing.

Parks and Recreation Director Zach White told the board the draft ordinance and policy framework were modeled on neighboring counties and would establish an application process, parameters for where and when alcohol could be served, and a fee structure to be proposed later. "This wouldn't guarantee that any event would be allowed to have alcohol," White said. "It would create the path for them to potentially do that." White also said staff would return with a detailed policy and fee schedule if the board directed.

At the public hearing, multiple residents urged the board to reject the change. "When you open Pandora's box to such things as alcoholic beverages in state parks or county parks...you're taking a big step back," said JB Croon, identifying himself as a lifelong Pender County resident. "I'm strictly opposed to it." Paul Couch, who said he has served as a county deputy, first responder and pastor, told commissioners he has seen the consequences of alcohol misuse in emergency responses and urged them not to add alcohol sales to county parks.

Commissioners asked staff for clarifications about which events the change would cover, whether the county would set limits on amounts served, and whether the draft policy in the agenda packet could be reviewed in full before a vote. White and staff said the draft policy was in the packet and that more details on the application process, timeline and fee structure would be provided if the board asked staff to move forward.

After closing public comment, the board moved to deny consideration of the ordinance amendment. The motion to deny was seconded and carried following a show-of-hands vote. The motion's mover and seconder and a numerical roll-call tally were not stated on the record.

The denial means staff will not proceed with the proposed permit pathway for alcohol sales at county parks unless the board reintroduces the item at a future meeting. White said staff had been asked to bring a policy and that those materials would remain available if the board chose to reconsider.

During the hearing commissioners and staff repeatedly stressed that the draft under consideration would have created a permitting process and not an automatic entitlement for event organizers. Staff also noted a range of prospective uses mentioned during discussion, including the summer wood-bat league, concerts, festivals, rentals of county venues like Pender Lee Auditorium and private event requests for locations such as Millers Pond Park and Abby Nature Preserve.

The vote came after roughly 14 minutes of discussion and public comment on the item. Members of the public who spoke cited public-safety and traffic-safety concerns, the county's role as a family-friendly steward of parkland, and the potential downstream effects on children and families.

The board did not adopt a fee schedule or an application process at the meeting; staff said if the board changes course they would bring an application, permitting timeline and fee proposal back to the board for consideration.