Long Beach City Council is set to vote on loosening boardwalk alcohol restrictions
Long Beach, Long Island, is holding a public hearing regarding the loosening of alcohol restrictions on its iconic boardwalk.
The City Council debate begins Tuesday evening with a vote to follow.
The proposal
Long Beach City Council is tackling the polarizing topic of allowing boardwalk businesses to sell and serve booze following more than a decade of prohibition.
The proposal does not allow taking drinks to the beach and boardwalk; the alcohol must be consumed on the business' premises.
In recent years, the city has been challenged with unauthorized parties and illegal gatherings posted on social media, with thousands responding, leading to gunfire and arrests.
Business owners and patrons who favor the loosened restrictions, however, say teen partygoers are not going to be the customers paying to sit inside a boardwalk restaurant and have a drink with dinner.
One restaurant, Allegria, already offers alcoholic beverages, and now others are vying for the right.
"I think it will be helpful to bring the people to come to Long Beach to have a good time and be respectful, just like in Rockaway and Jones Beach, where they have bars and restaurants on the boardwalk," Long Beach City Council President Brendan Finn said.
He added, "Have a drink, look at the waves, eat some food."
Long Beach considered a similar proposal in 2017, but it was voted down, led by the drug and alcohol prevention group Long Beach Aware.
The reaction
The proposal got mixed reactions from people on the boardwalk Tuesday afternoon.
"If they can control it and keep it within their establishments, I think that's OK," one person said.
"There's no reason why we can't responsibly have a couple of drinks while we look at the sunset, enjoy the views," one man said.
"Maybe they should sell non-alcoholic beer. That would be good," another man said.
"Oh yeah, they are going to get drunk and go in the water, and it's going to be dangerous," another person said.
"Definitely don't need more rowdy crowds because of the little ones," one parent said.
