
WILMINGTON — Though an ordinance had to undergo a second reading after passing two weeks ago, all signs point to go as the Brooklyn Arts District will become the guinea pig for the area’s first social district.
READ MORE: BAD businesses to pitch pilot social district to city officials in the new year
ALSO: Brooklyn Arts District one step closer to being Wilmington’s pilot social district
A social district essentially allows patrons to stroll in a particular area with open containers of alcohol, as purchased from participating businesses only; no brown-bagging is allowed for outside alcohol to be brought into the district. The pilot program will take place along 10 blocks of N. Fourth Street during three Saturdays in February, from noon to 5 p.m.
The dates, Feb. 1, 8 and 15, will coincide with events planned in the district, including a Coffee Crawl, Sports Day for Super Bowl weekend, and Love Fest — the latter also will act as a fundraiser for Helene survivors in western North Carolina.
Wilmington City Council voted 4-2 on Jan. 7, with Salette Andrews and Kevin Spears dissenting (Mayor Saffo wasn’t present). Because it addressed an ordinance, a second reading was also required, unless voted to be waived, which didn’t happen.
On Tuesday, Jan. 21, the second vote came down to 5-2. Again, Spears and Andrews dissented and the mayor was in favor.
Spears was clear earlier this month and on Tuesday he would have voted for the program had it taken place in downtown proper where the majority of bars and restaurants are located.
“I would be 1,000% on board, but because it butts right up to a community I’m not on board,” he said.
The pilot program in BAD is in close proximity to the Northside neighborhood homes and Spears thought it would be disruptive to residents.
Christina Haley, CEO of Wilmington Downtown Inc. — which met with the BAD Collective, who approached city staff and departments to devise the pilot program — countered Spears’ concerns. She said putting it in a place already heavily visited seemed counterintuitive and could strain law enforcement resources.
“A nighttime social district in areas near 18-and-up bars, other bars with history of issues and during the nighttime when calls for service is high, and adding that food establishments are closed,” Haley said, “may not be the best scenario, sir, for officers or our downtown.”
No additional police or fire personnel will be required of the district.
Andrews didn’t say much about her vote on Jan. 7 but on Tuesday spoke of “deficiencies” in the process. Particularly, she took concern with residents not being properly notified nor being allowed to address their concerns to council at the first meeting, as council was told would happen at its Jan. 6 agenda review meeting.
Mayor Pro Tem Clifford Barnett addressed the public comment period on Jan. 7 and was told by City Attorney Meredith Everhart that city ordinances don’t warrant public hearings.
According to city emails obtained by Port City Daily after the Jan. 7 meeting, Andrews sent messages to residents in the Northside, asking if they knew about the district. She said in Tuesday’s council meeting she reached out to 35 people who live on Campbell, Bladen and Red Cross streets, for instance.
“None of them indicated they had been notified,” Andrews said.
Part of the requirement was for the BAD Collective to inform residents of the pilot program dates. Chad McEwen told council Tuesday the group provided the footprint of the district in a notification that was posted to various residences along the corridor.
“The challenge was reaching some residents that have secured access to prevent a post to that property, either on the door or mail kiosks,” McEwen said. “So it was logistically impossible to put something in everybody’s hand. But they did provide a significant effort.”
Denise D’Amour wrote to Andrews in an email on Jan. 12 she wasn’t aware of the district until reading a Port City Daily article, while Charles Stehle also noted he wasn’t aware of Jan. 7’s vote but supported the social district. He was concerned by the lack of required policing.
“I wish this could be reconsidered,” Stehle wrote to Andrews. “This neighborhood desperately needs more of a police presence, and not just on special event weekends. In the recent past I have witnessed aggressive panhandling and dangerous situations with bicycles and motorized scooters on the sidewalks. A visible patrol will send the message that the city cares.”
Andrews said council members were informed by staff that neighbors would have a chance to speak at the Jan. 7 council meeting and was disappointed when that didn’t take place.
City spokesperson Lauren Edwards explained in an email to Port City Daily on Jan. 16 miscommunication happened regarding the legislative process on the ordinance.
“As a matter of process regarding ordinances in our meeting procedures, ordinances do not typically allow for public comment,” she said; however, state statute mandates social district considerations are open to public comment. “We have resolved that discrepancy and there will be an opportunity for public comment either for or against the ordinance before the vote at the second reading.”
Roughly 10 people spoke before council Tuesday, most of whom were BAD business owners. Only one person spoke against the district. Diana Hill, who has lived in Wilmington for three decades but isn’t a resident of BAD, took issue with parking spilling over into the neighborhoods, and also potential safety issues it poses.
“People will be parking their car in our neighborhoods and then getting in their cars and driving through our neighborhoods after drinking,” she said.
Also concerning to Hill were the use of plastic disposable cups and the potential for increased littering. She thought encouraging residents to drink more and without increased oversight was irresponsible and worried about underage drinking, in addition to overconsumption.
“We are the third largest consumer of alcohol out of 100 counties in the state,” Diana Hill said of New Hanover County. “I think we’re drinking as fast as we can right now. We’re 11th in population but third in consumption of alcohol. … We have a viable, dynamic downtown. We don’t have to allow open carry to increase participation in our city.”
This idea was countered by business owners in the district, many of whom concurred their bottom line hasn’t been great in the last five years.
Alex White, owner of Don Luca Pizzeria in the Brooklyn Arts District, said he purchased the shop in 2022 when it wasn’t making enough gross sales at the time to afford rent. White said he purchased the business because he loved the neighborhood, but added business owners in the district are operating on tight margins, many with second jobs. White is also a realtor, as is Tara English who owns Brooklyn Cafe.
“These business owners are not rich from their business,” he said. “We are fighting for our lives here and the purpose of the proposal is the economic benefit. … When the street sees business, we see business.”
He also countered litter issues, noting there isn’t trash on the street right now and WDI is helping with its collection on social district days. More so, the pilot is to preface potential permanency, which if happens, the group hopes to secure metal, reusable cups in the future.
BAD business owners are footing the bill for everything needed to run the program — signage, maps, cups, stickers, etc. — meaning it’s no cost to the city.
The Kitchen Sink owner Alicia Mitchell called it potentially a “huge economic driver,” while Commodore Public House owner Wes Westlye thought too much emphasis was put on the open container. The three events of the pilot program are slated to be family-friendly and will include music, food and vendors at area businesses, too.
“It’s about bringing people to our up-and-coming area,” Westlye said, adding he wouldn’t necessarily be for this program if proposed in downtown proper.
Westlye owns Rebellion on Front Street and Fox’s Hole in Wall on Princess Street. He said North Fourth Street doesn’t have the same traffic that downtown’s central business district generates.
English — who with Goat and Compass owner Scott Wagner came up with the pilot idea — told council that 2024 was an “incredibly difficult year” for restaurants and bars. Inflation escalated and business owners have taken even more of a hit with prices on everyday operations increasing. English pointed out this was happening only a few years after many businesses were closed for much of 2020 due to Covid-19 mandates.
“Many businesses like myself, we’re still paying off loans,” she said.
She also countered Hill’s statistics of New Hanover County being the third largest consumers of alcohol, noting it’s also representative of a tourism economy — not necessarily just locals.
“I love Wilmington and I would not stand in front of you and present something that I thought wouldn’t present Wilmington in a positive manner,” English said, adding there are 55 social districts already in the state.
Wagner told council that since he bought the Goat 13 years ago, he’s lived through the ups and downs of business in the area. He added when restaurants moved into BAD, it boosted everyone’s business.
“I want to see them thrive,” he said, noting the daytime hours were chosen to keep people in the district for dinner.
Charlie Rivenbark agreed, recalling a time when Fourth Street was empty for decades and noted how swaths of land still are available.
“I ate at a restaurant on Saturday night at the very end of the north end and they were full,” Rivenbark said. “I agree: The restaurants bring people in.”
The mayor was in favor of BAD being the litmus test. He mentioned the 1,100-space parking deck nearby that people can utilize to walk to the area. Also in defense of parking, business owner White noted people nowadays are using ride-sharing apps, like Uber, because “they’re responsible adults.”
Saffo said if neighbors end up complaining about parking, they can take it up with council much like the historic district residents did a few years ago when tourists and downtown employees were parking in their spots. Now an historic district pass is required in some areas for residents only.
The mayor also wasn’t for a “blanket social district” in the future but thought there would need to be considerations made for various areas that could look to do one if it becomes permanent. He pointed to potential areas like the Soda Pop, Castle Street Arts and even The Cargo District.
“Maybe a permit is the right way to do it, if this moves forward,” Saffo suggested. “And if it turns out like Mardi Gras, with hootin’ and hollerin’, we can pull it.”
BAD Collective will meet weekly after each event with the city staff and departments to adjust and tweak the program as needed. Saffo lauded the business owners for coming together and taking ownership and responsibility for overseeing the district.
Andrews didn’t believe the pilot would garner “meaningful data,” to judge how to move forward in other areas.
“Good data relies on a well-designed experiment and I don’t believe that 15 cold daytime hours in February are going to be representative of anything outside of those 15 cold daytime hours in February,” she said. “As we used to say in IT: ‘Garbage in, garbage out.’”
Waddell disagreed and defended what the collective put together. He called their plan responsible, measured and proactive of business owners devising this blueprint for council.
“I certainly don’t believe the work you guys put into this is garbage,” Waddell said. “If we need to extend the pilot project to get better data so that some of the other members are comfortable before it becomes permanent, we’ll look at that.”
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