TRYON – The Town of Tryon is considering amending its alcohol policy to allow people to walk along the sidewalks from business to business during certain situations.

Tryon Town Council met Tuesday, Nov. 15 and heard from town manager Zach Ollis about amending the town’s ordinance.

Ollis said he has started to work on the town’s ordinance that would allow public consumption of alcohol under certain circumstances in the downtown district.

“As this is a sensitive topic, I would like to ask that you discuss the policy tonight with the intentions of voting next month,” Ollis said in the town’s packet.

Ollis also said he would like public input for the ordinance and to allow a month in order to give the town time to meet with citizens on the topic.

During last week’s meeting, commissioner Crys Armbrust said a positive to allowing alcohol would be after 15 years, it would allow the town to have alcohol at Rogers Park events, “where we’ve been allowing people to have alcohol for many years and turned a blind eye.”

Ollis said it is somewhat complex, but the idea is to allow alcohol on the sidewalks in a permittable fashion, at certain times, in approved containers at certain events and it not be illegal.

“My idea is so people can go from one business to the next and taste wine and beer and carry it throughout,” Ollis said.

Ollis said he wants to give the community an opportunity to have public input whether they are for or against it. He also said it’s something Tryon can implement to promote downtown, as it provides opportunities for restaurants and businesses. 

Ollis said when the town has events downtown alcohol use will already be covered in the ordinance.

Ollis said in Boone, people can go from shop to shop and sample food and wine and to do that people have to be able to walk on the sidewalks with an open container.

The town’s current ordinance, titled 1991-1A (Alcoholic Beverages) states that it shall be unlawful for any person to consume any alcoholic beverage as defined by G.S. 18B-101 on any property owned or controlled by the Town of Tryon or upon any public vehicular area: provided that this section shall not apply to the premises of those establishments that have an “on premises” ABC permit as prescribed under G.S. 18B-1001.

Ollis said he plans to bring the issue back to council during the town’s December meeting, scheduled for Dec. 20.