Leesburg Park Officials Push to End Alcohol Ban

By Kafia A. Hosh

Thursday, April 30, 2009

There are no clinking wine glasses or champagne flutes at the Ida Lee Park Recreation Center, although it hosts wedding receptions, birthdays and other celebrations. Leesburg does not allow alcohol in public buildings.

But that could change soon. Leesburg parks and recreation officials this week asked the Town Council to consider lifting the ban so the town can generate more income from renting its facilities.

At a council work session Monday, Parks and Recreation Director Rich Williams proposed that the town allow beer and wine at private functions from 8 p.m. to midnight on weekdays at the Olde Izaak Walton Park building and from 8 p.m. to midnight any day at the Ida Lee Park Recreation Center and the Ida Lee tennis facility. Town employees would not provide or serve the beverages.

With the policy change, the town could net an additional $15,000 a year from facility rentals, officials estimate. Leesburg made about $105,000 last year from that revenue source, including the rental of gyms and swimming pools.

Council members had mixed reactions to the proposal.

Thomas S. Dunn II said the potential revenue increase would not be worth the safety risks.

"This is one set of revenue dollars I don't want my name attached to," Dunn said. "I think our recreations [department] should be promoting the maximum health and not doing things that could risk that."

Some council members said they approved of allowing beer and wine but wanted the alcohol served at earlier times.

For events such as wedding receptions, which tend to begin in the afternoon or early evening, "8 p.m. does seem late," council member Kevin D. Wright said.

Williams said banning alcohol before 8 p.m. would protect children. Most of their activities at park buildings take place earlier in the day, and most of them would be home by evening, he said. He added that the restriction would make it less likely that children would find themselves in the parking lot with intoxicated adults.

"You're not running into a situation of children that could dot in and out of cars," Williams said.

He also said the hours could be adjusted over time. "Overall, the main reason is to start with a more restrictive policy," he said. "Then we can look at possibly expanding that."

The change in the town's alcohol policy was first suggested by the Leesburg Parks and Recreation Commission, an advisory panel of town residents appointed by the council.

The commission pointed to policies in Herndon and Vienna that allow serving beer and wine at town venues. It also looked at the situation in Loudoun County, where the Board of Supervisors is considering relaxing its ban on alcohol in public facilities. In January, the board asked county staff members to draft a proposal to permit alcohol for a one-year trial period during special events at the Franklin Park Performing and Visual Arts Center in Purcellville and the Heritage Farm Museum in Sterling.

Leesburg residents often ask about renting town facilities but look elsewhere when they learn that alcohol is not permitted, said Parks and Recreation Commission member Russ Shaw.

Relaxing the ban "would open up more opportunities for people to utilize the facilities the way they like," Shaw said. "They would like to have gatherings of friends where they can serve wine, they can serve beer as they meet."

Williams said Tuesday that based on the interest the proposal drew from several council members, the commission will develop formal guidelines on serving alcohol and present them to the council at a meeting. If the council agrees with the guidelines, the next step would be to hold a public hearing and then vote on amending the town code.

Tagged: alcohol, Ida Lee Park, Leesburg, Leesburg Town Council

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