Charlotte could vote on social districts next week

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (WBTV) - The Charlotte City Council heard what the city thinks about a potential social district at a meeting Monday night.

A social district would allow a designated area where people could carry alcoholic drinks outside from place to place.

It’s a concept that’s taken in several other cities in our area, including Hickory, Kannapolis, and Salisbury.

There’s lots of interest in having one in Plaza Midwood, NoDa, or South End, with many saying it’s a “no brainer” that would bring more customers and align with Charlotte’s growth.

Some, like Nancy Pierce, have just one request.

“We don’t mind drinking, we just don’t like the plastic cups,” she said.

Pierce, who lives near Plaza Midwood, says she sees a lot of litter ending up in a nearby river and doesn’t want the waste to accelerate with a social district.

“Just unacceptable. And we have to start on a local level to stop that,” she added.

Clifton Castelloe, the current president for the Plaza Midwood Merchant’s Association, also spoke to the city council and echoed her message.

He said with that taken into consideration, most Plaza Midwood businesses would otherwise be on board.

“We in Plaza Midwood have a string of great breweries, we’re kind of a hub for breweries now in Charlotte, and so all of our breweries are behind the idea of people being able to experience the brewing culture,” he explained.

The public comment happened two weeks after the city’s Safe Communities Committee gave their nod of approval.

While the Charlotte City Council could vote on this by next week, on August 22, that doesn’t necessarily mean any districts will go into effect right away.

The vote would potentially allow for the idea of social districts. If certain areas were interested, they would need to make a proposal and get approved by the city council individually to establish one.

WBTV spoke with city leaders in Kannapolis and Salisbury, which both have relatively new social districts in place. They say both have been successful and they know of no violations, arrests, or other reasons to worry.

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