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Downtown Business Council urges pilot 'sip and stroll'; aldermen ask attorney to draft permit‑based ordinance
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Summary
The Downtown Business Council asked New Bern aldermen to approve a permit‑based, event‑focused social district (a 'sip and stroll') to boost foot traffic downtown; the council emphasized merchant support and asked for a trial model and ordinance drafting.
Katie Triplett, chair of the Downtown Business Council, urged the board April 28 to consider an event‑based social district that would allow controlled alcohol sales in a defined downtown footprint during specific events.
"Social districts have been a strong success in North Carolina," Triplett said, noting almost 70 municipalities have created social districts and that none have reversed course. She told aldermen merchants ranked a social district and event coordination as their top priorities in a recent survey and suggested trialing limited, event‑based permits to gauge impacts.
Triplett said towns that adopted social districts saw increased foot traffic and higher revenue for businesses; she cited examples where revenue increased by around 5 percent. She told the board a permit model would allow officials to "turn on the switch" for particular events, limit the footprint, assign permit responsibilities (trash, safety) to event organizers, and avoid an immediate year‑round commitment.
Several aldermen supported directing the city attorney to draft a permit‑based ordinance for a pilot approach rather than adopting a permanent citywide district immediately. One alderman recommended a phased approach (event only → limited schedule → full time) modeled on other North Carolina towns; another proposed two separate zones (downtown and a Pollock Street corridor) that could be activated per permit.
The board stopped short of adopting an ordinance at the meeting but gave staff and the city attorney direction to prepare draft language for public review and further discussion.
What happens next: Attorney and staff will draft a permit‑based social‑district ordinance for the board to review, and staff plans to solicit merchant and public input on a trial model.
