(Pictured: Candler Park Golf Course)
City codes currently prohibit alcohol sales at the city’s four courses because they are all too close to private homes, schools, churches or places of worship. As part of “exploring ways to broaden the food-and-beverage menu at [the city’s courses], invest and expand in existing spaces and generate additional revenue,” the Parks Department has proposed exempting the courses from existing distance requirements. The proposal was approved by a council committee and is scheduled to be voted on by the entire council on January 6.
Golfers may soon be able to buy beer and alcohol at the golf courses run by the city of Atlanta, Ga., according to the Saporta Report, through a change in legislation proposed by the city’s Department of Parks and Recreation (DPR) that is intended to “enhance the customer experience.”
City codes currently do not allow the city to sell beer or alcohol on its four golf courses, according to the Saporta Report, because the courses are too close to private homes, schools, churches or places of worship. The codes require a certain distance between one of these categories and any establishment that seeks to sell alcoholic beverages for on-premise consumption on premises.
All of the Atlanta courses are located within 300 feet of private residences and a public or private park or recreation center, according to the Saporta Report, and the Chastain Park and Candler Park golf courses are also located within 600 feet from a public or private school. In addition, Chastain Park is located within 500 feet from a church and religious place of worship.
Feeling that these prohibitions are not in the best interest of the city, according to the Saporta Report, the Parks Department has made this request to waive the existing prohibitions:
“WHEREAS, DPR is exploring ways to broaden the food-and-beverage menu at the City of Atlanta Golf Courses, to invest and expand in existing spaces and to generate additional revenues; and
“WHEREAS, to accomplish these goals, and to enhance the customer experience at the City of Atlanta Golf Courses, DPR recommends that the City of Atlanta seek to acquire licenses for the sale and service of alcohol for consumption on the premises on the premises of these golf courses….”
“WHEREAS, it would be in the best interest of the City of Atlanta to create an exemption from the current distance requirements in Section 10-88 for the City of Atlanta Golf Courses….”
The proposal received unanimous support from members of the Atlanta City Council’s Public Safety and Legal Administration Committee at its December 10 meeting, according to the Saporta Report. The next stop is the consent agenda of the January 6, 2020 city council meeting. Items on the consent agenda have unanimous approval from the committee that handled them and are approved by the council with a single vote.
Atlanta’s budget for the fiscal year that ends June 30, 2020 also includes these notes about planned upgrades for the city courses, according to the Saporta Report.
- Extensive bunker renovations at Chastain Golf Course;
- New HVAC systems at the Alfred ‘Tup’ Holmes and Chastain golf courses
- Installation of a new 500-gallon fuel tank at Browns Mill Golf Course.
- “Delivering a best‐in‐class golf experience by securing employees and optimizing staff levels to meet operational and customer needs, and also securing equipment and contracts necessary to run quality youth and senior programming at facilities”
- “Completing an analysis and long‐term planning effort for [the city’s] golf operations”
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