In a historic move, the city is planning to change city ordinance so a vendor can be allowed to serve alcohol at a city park (Item #45).
While I am not opposed to serving alcohol at Falls Park (heck, you can walk over to the Silver Moon if you really need a drink) I think they should use the license for catered events only, like weddings. I really don’t see the need for a family cafe serving beer. I also find it unusual the city and the council would jump thru so many hoops to make this possible. I guess it is ‘who you know’ not ‘what you know’ in this town 🙂
If I get hammered drinking at the falls, can I sue the sherriff’s wife for serving me too much?
The sheriff could just take the summons home and deliver it himself. Maybe this is a savings program for the city, county and court systems.
I don’t understand why this is the one family cafe where people don’t think they should have beer. I can just as easily drink a beer at Chuck E Cheese and walk out on Louise Ave and get hit by a bus (or drink and drive) as I can drink one at the Falls and fall in.
Jr, that is not the point. After they cleaned up Falls Park, one of the stipulations of the clean up was to make Falls Park ‘Alcohol Free’. Like I said above, I think it is ok to serve at catered events, I just don’t understand why they think they need to serve beer in the cafe during regular business hours. Seems like a lot of trouble (changing city ordinance) just so a cafe can sell a couple of beers.
Having people walking around buzzed is the only way to ensure that everyday Sioux Falls folks will feel heroic enough to jump in after any kids who have fallen into the water. Bravo. Maybe Fire and Rescue should build a permanent station next to the Cafe to save response time. Win/win.
I think you should get complimentary arm-floaties with the purchase of every beer. We could get the beverage companies to sponsor them.
The first of two hearings on this proposed amendment will occur at tomorrow’s Council meeting.
Years ago, city leaders made the decision to invest millions of dollars in the rehabilitation of Falls Park. The area had endured decades of abuse and misuse.
Current park policies were developed to address some of the issues that created the undesirable area that Falls Park had become.
This is taken directly from the city’s website, siouxfalls.org:
Consumption of malt beverages including beer is allowed in non-glass containers in all parks, except the following: Alcohol is prohibited at Arrowhead, Falls, Fawick, Heritage, Kenny Anderson, Lyon, McKennan, Pasley, Tomar, Tuthill, Veteran’s Memorial and Whittier Parks. No alcohol other than malt beverage is allowed in any park.
No person shall consume any alcoholic beverages in Falls Park, Fawick Park, or any park property located adjacent to and within 500 feet of the Big Sioux River between Falls Park Drive south to the Cliff Avenue bridge located between 12th Street and 14th Street, except upon application meeting the requirements of SDCL 35-4-124 and approval of the city council.
Four vendors expressed interest. One vendor, Mikrho Management LLC (Mike and Rhonda Milstead), submitted a proposal.
At the April 16, 2013 meeting, the Council approved the Management Agreement for the Overlook Café with the following stipulations:
*that the above mentioned amendment is approved by the Council, and that the vendor is able to secure the necessary liquor licensing.
Three councilors (Anderson Jr., Jamison and Staggers) expressed serious reservations about this proposed amendment.
The amendment reflects a major shift in policy regarding our City’s namesake, the crown jewel of our nationally recognized (CAPRA) park system, and one of our State’s major tourist attractions.
The decision that was made years ago to prohibit the consumption of alcohol in Falls Park helped reverse decades of bad policy regarding the use of this property that is owned and maintained by Sioux Falls taxpayers.
In addition, recent tragic events at the Park have prompted city officials to call for a study of safety in the Park. This study has not happened yet.
I urge the Mayor and the Council to reject the proposed amendment and to retain the current policy of special one day licensing for private rentals/caterings.
L3wis:
“I really don’t see the need for a family cafe serving beer.”
That’s because you don’t have small children.
Seriously though, aren’t you constantly bitching that places like these need to be self-sufficent? Ever wonder why they only had one proposal submitted? The answer is that people looked at the numbers and you can’t make money there selling ice cream cones and mircowaved grilled cheeses. I’m pretty sure the Sheriff’s wife will be diligent about not serving people to the point where they are completely wasted or she will not only risk her License, but also her husband’s reputation.
As for safety at the Falls, there’s measures that we can take without having to build a 7 ft barb wire fence around it. Maybe we station a lifeguard there and have some equipment at the ready to help save people from falling in, most of the season of heavy visitation the current and conditions aren’t as dangerous as when the last tragedy hit, so no reason to go overboard with a nanny state down there, especially since alcohol wasn’t a factor in that last tragedy.
Sy – I agree about nanny-state measures, and have often felt there should be life-savers stationed around the falls so people are not jumping in saving people. As for the alcohol, not sure why we think we need to create a problem that does not exist yet.
Don’t worry, the beer will be too expensive for local drunks to buy.
Exactly Scott, serving beer and wine at the cafe will have no effect on the past problem the Falls had with alcohol.
Sid’s selling Camo and Ripple has more effect on that situation.