Syracuse to mull liquor sales tonight

SYRACUSE — This is a city that's been growing up over the past few years, and soon it will be time to make some grown-up decisions — like whether to allow restaurants to serve alcohol.

Stores can sell beer as long as they are 600 feet from schools and churches. The Wal-Mart that opened last week doesn't sell beer because it's too close to Syracuse Junior High School.

But the city doesn't have an ordinance regulating alcohol sales at restaurants for on-site consumption.

City leaders are considering whether to draft such an ordinance and have solicited help from experts who will speak during a special City Council meeting tonight at 7 p.m.

Representatives from the Utah Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control and the Utah Restaurant Association will address the council regarding liquor laws and how best to implement an ordinance.

Four options are on the table right now, said Councilman Danny Hammon.

One option is to do nothing. But the city has the potential for a movie theater to come to town, and that could attract popular restaurants — sit-down restaurants that serve alcohol and wouldn't come to Syracuse if they were not permitted to serve it.

The other three options involve combinations of relaxing the city's rule on retail sales, which is stricter than state law, and creating a way for sit-down restaurants to sell alcohol for on-site consumption.

Hammon said he hasn't made up his mind yet regarding an ordinance.

"I think it's always good to hear from people who can give you new information," he said.

Councilman Wallace Peterson said he would prefer not to have alcohol sold in the city because he doesn't drink, though he hasn't made up his mind on the issue yet.

"But yet, my wife and I go out to eat quite often," Peterson said. "We won't be able to have nice sit-down restaurants unless we allow (on-site consumption)."

Councilman Phil Orton is also a non-drinker and said choosing a prohibitive ordinance would be an easy road to go down.

"Not everyone I represent is not a non-drinker," Orton said, adding that he's heard from few people on the issue — two who would leave the ordinances as is and four or five who would like some nicer restaurants.

Dean Steel, one of the newest councilmen, said the city doesn't need a change in the ordinance.

"Syracuse is a unique community," he said. "If they want alcohol, those that want it can go to Layton or Clearfield. We can keep it out of Syracuse."

A public comment portion of the meeting will precede the presentations tonight. Residents are asked to keep comments to three minutes.

Syracuse City Hall is at 1787 S. 2000 West in Syracuse.

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E-mail: jdougherty@desnews.com