Want to buy a beer and drink it on the street? That soon could be allowed in Boise
Want to carry a drink from a business onto the street during an outdoor festival? As of now, that’s not allowed in Boise. But it soon could be.
The Boise City Council is considering a change that would make it legal to bring an open container of alcohol outside the business where it was purchased. A proposed city ordinance would allow the city to designate “festival blocks.” That would make the open containers legal when special events are taking place there.
“As we continue to grow, I think we’ll see the number of events that are within our city continue to grow as well,” Deputy Clerk Jamie Heinzerling said last week during a City Council work session. “This really adds to the vibrancy that we have here as a city that is so important to all of us.”
Heinzerling presented the concept last week and the City Council moved the ordinance Tuesday from the first reading to the second without discussion. Ordinances go through three readings before they are enacted.
The idea was brought up by business leaders from the Basque Block and a local attorney reviewing alcohol code in order to create a rule more friendly to businesses. Broad Street is another example of a street that’s been discussed among city leaders as a potential festival-style street.
The current setup posed challenges, because patrons can’t legally bring their drinks outside the businesses where they were purchased. The potential change allows businesses to be more a part of the festival itself.
Heinzerling said a festival block is “a public place designed for the temporary implementation of open-container zones during permitted special events.”
City officials initially thought about allowing open containers at all times on festival blocks but then reconsidered.
“I could bring my six-pack and sit on the bench outside of one of these businesses 24/7,” Heinzerling said. “That is also an unintended consequence. That is not something we wanted to see.”
The city defines a special event as an event with 1,000 or more attendees, alcohol, street closures, resources like police and fire department involvement to protect health and safety, or a combination of some of these.
To qualify as a festival block, a business with an alcohol license must apply to the city of Boise to receive this designation. Once that designation is made, special-event applicants can ask for permission for businesses to serve alcohol that can be carried onto the street during the festival.
The application for festival-block status would include copies of the business’ alcohol licenses and proof of support from 75% of businesses and residents within the block.
The festival block designation would last a year and need to be renewed annually.
“This is just in time for spring and summer and festival season, when so much of the community is ready to get back together and celebrate,” Boise Mayor Lauren McLean said during last week’s work session. “So then we can move ahead and give some certainty to blocks of businesses and others that are looking forward to encouraging gathering this summer.”
This story was originally published March 9, 2022 at 10:51 AM.
