Responding to a request from a local business to allow outdoor public consumption of alcohol, the Gettysburg Borough Council will draft an ordinance allowing people to drink alcohol outside in the area on and within one block of Lincoln Square.
The policy would run for a trial period through New Year’s 2023.
Borough Manager Charles Gable said he had been in contact with officials in Carlisle who said there had only been one violation in the four years they had allowed public consumption of alcohol downtown.
Council member Chris Berger expressed some opposition to the idea, as did Police Chief Robert Glenny.
Glenny said he did not like the idea of making alcohol more available. “I see it as a public safety issue; I see it as problematic,” he said.
The ordinance will specify hours in which alcohol cannot be consumed in public and those hours would likely follow the current noise ordinance.
The council said it would be important for local businesses to inform people about the regulations.
Charles (Chuck) Stangor is Gettysburg Connection's Owner, Publisher, and Editor in Chief. I would like to hear from you. Please contact me at cstangor@gettysburgconnection.org.
Please read this and call or write your borough council representative and show up at Monday night’s meeting. Council plans to vote then on the open container ordinance on Monday, rushing it through as they do all their bad ideas. What is the up side you may ask to allowing people to walk around town drinking alcohol? There is none. And yet the borough manager and his supporters twist themselves into knots comparing Gettysburg to other towns and cities that are nothing like us, trying to convince borough council of this one specious, conclusory and contrived argument: It will be… Read more »
I agree with Peggy Rock!! Dumb idea😝
Our police will now be on the streets 24/7 watching to see if someone is carrying an alcoholic beverage outside the permitted area? It will never happen and the cost of this unnecessary, unhelpful program will once again be borne by the taxpayers. Thanks for the question, Nancy.
Regarding the alcohol policy-Limitations of one block within the square leaves out a few restaurants like Garry Owen and Food 101. How will that be enforced?