Alachua Expanding Alcohol Use to Legacy Park

ALACHUA ‒ The City of Alachua has taken a step toward updating its Code of Ordinances that regulates alcoholic beverages on public property. The City Commission at its April 8, 2024, meeting held a public hearing to consider allowing alcoholic beverages to be sold, served, delivered, or consumed on the City’s Legacy Park property.

The City’s Codes regulates alcoholic beverages and specifies the hours of sale, location of sale, and possession of the consumption of alcohol on public and private property. Proposed Ordinance 24-08 would amend current codes to permit alcoholic beverages to be sold, served, delivered, or consumed at Legacy Park.

Prior to 2015, alcoholic beverages were prohibited from being sold, served, delivered to another, or consumed in any municipal park or recreation area and on any municipally leased, operated, or controlled property or area, including public right-of-way. In July 2015, the Code was amended to permit alcoholic beverages to be sold, served, delivered, and consumed at the Swick House when the facility was rented for a private event, such as for wedding receptions.

In February 2018, the City again amended its Code to permit alcoholic beverages to be sold, served, delivered, and consumed during specified events at the downtown Theatre Park and the Legacy Park Multipurpose Center.

In 2020, Phase 2 of Legacy Park, which included the addition of three multipurpose sports fields and the amphitheater, was completed. Since that time, the City has received numerous requests to host events at Legacy Park where alcoholic beverages would be available.

The current proposed amendment will add the Legacy Park property as a designated City property where alcoholic beverages may be sold, served, delivered, or consumed. This amendment would permit the sale, service, delivery, and consumption of alcoholic beverages during events requiring a Special Event Permit issued by the City of Alachua under specific circumstances including:

Individual personal consumption at a fundraising event sponsored by a governmental entity;

Individual personal consumption by a not-for-profit entity that charges admission for the event but does not charge for the delivery of alcoholic beverages;

As permitted in accordance with a rental agreement which specifies such terms and conditions and permits the sale, service, or delivery for individual personal consumption during the period of the rental agreement.

Commissioner Jennifer Blalock made a motion to approve the ordinance update with Commissioner Shirley Green Brown providing the second. The measure was passed unanimously with a 4-0 vote.

It is anticipated that the second and final reading of Ordinance 24-08 will be held on April 22, 2024.

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