In the city of Savannah’s proposed alcohol ordinance, hotel bars and restaurants would not face the same new burdens as other establishments with alcohol licenses.
And young adults traveling with their parents would not face the same restrictions as independent 18 to 20-year-olds who live here in Savannah.
If the most unenforceable and extreme portions of the draft actually became law, a 20-year-old vacationing with her parents could enjoy a late dinner in a restaurant that serves alcohol, but a 20-year-old soldier who has just returned from a lengthy deployment would be kicked out the door of that same restaurant at 10 p.m.
Again, we aren’t talking about bars here, but restaurants that serve alcohol — places like Applebee’s and Mellow Mushroom.
Early signals suggested city officials were backing away from such an absurd policy, but the language is still present in the online survey about the ordinance.
Some folks around town think such measures are part of a grand scheme to push locals out of downtown to make more room for tourists.
I don’t think there’s any grand conspiracy here, but it’s obvious the draft alcohol ordinance favors tourist interests over local interests.
The proposals aren’t evidence of a government conspiracy, but they are further evidence of a pervasive mindset.
To many of us watching from the sidelines, major developers who are eyeing the tourist market are getting their special requests fast-tracked, while businesses patronized primarily by locals spend many weeks waiting on the simplest of permits.
The city’s plan to demolish 36 affordable rental units within a seven-minute walk of the Landmark Historic District also sends a clear signal that we simply aren’t committed to maintaining the neighborhood fabric in the downtown area.
Downtown zoning continues to favor new hotels over new apartment buildings, while the growth in vacation rentals will further degrade the residential character of Savannah’s older neighborhoods.
For the record, I love Savannah’s tourists, and I think our local tourism professionals are doing a grand job. The influx of so many visitors provides vital support to our restaurant and bar scene and to our preservation efforts.
But the current city leadership — both elected and unelected — seems too focused on tourism as the driver of the downtown economy.
Or, to put it another way, they are insufficiently focused on the needs of residents and on other potential growth areas of the local economy.
Yes, we are seeing new initiatives aimed at mitigating some negative impacts of tourism on residents, but those efforts aren’t focused on increasing the residential population in the downtown area.
If we want to get the right balance between tourists and residents, we need a new mindset at City Hall.
City Talk appears every Sunday and Tuesday. Bill Dawers can be reached via billdawers@comcast.net. Send mail to 10 E. 32nd St., Savannah, GA 31401.