By Greg Chandler
Zeeland Record
The Zeeland City Council has given the go-ahead for alcohol to be sold in the city on Sundays, starting next month.
The council Monday voted 5-1 to approve a second and final reading on the proposal to permit the sale of alcohol between 12 noon Sunday and 2 a.m. Monday, or during a special event within that time period that has been approved by the council. The ordinance amendment covers both on-premises and off-premises liquor license holders.
In addition, the council gave final passage to allowing alcohol to be possessed and consumed in a city park that is part of the social district if the alcohol is purchased from a social district license holder and if all of the district’s guidelines are followed. That ordinance amendment passed 6-0.
Vande Luyster Square and Elm Street Park are located within the social district boundaries. The splash pad downtown will not be part of the social district, City Marketing Director Abby deRoo said.
While the city approved allowing alcohol possession and consumption in city parks that are in the social district, it will not allow alcohol in the district on Sundays. The city will keep its current social district hours of 8 a.m. to 11 p.m. Monday through Saturday.
The ordinance change is expected to take effect around Dec. 18, or 21 days after the ordinance is published in the Zeeland Record, City Attorney Jim Donkersloot said.
Monday’s vote ended nearly a year of discussion on Sunday alcohol sales. While the city has allowed the sale of alcohol since 2006, the city ordinance up until now has banned Sunday sales. City officials early this year reached out to liquor license holders to see if they had any interest in being allowed to sell alcohol on Sunday. One downtown restaurant – the Gritzmaker – expressed interest, saying it would bolster their business.
Despite the extensive discussion by City Council, the Sunday alcohol issue generated relatively few public comments over the last couple of months. Only one person spoke prior to Monday’s vote – a Zeeland Township resident, Chet Seay, who opposed allowing Sunday sales over concerns that it would encourage drunk driving. Seay cited numerous statistics on crashes, fatalities and injuries tied to drunk driving.
“As I understand it, we’ve got a few restaurants, one in particular, that want to make some additional revenue … I have no problem with people drinking alcohol. I have a problem when you drink alcohol – I don’t care whether it’s a glass of wine or you get wasted – and then you decide it’s time to get behind the wheel of a vehicle. Now you’ve put our families at risk, and mine,” Seay said.
The council of North Street Christian Reformed Church earlier objected to Sunday sales over concerns that church members may encounter people possessing alcohol as they enter or exit Sunday night worship services.
Councilman Rick Van Dorp, who will assume the office of mayor Dec. 1, doesn’t buy the concerns that legalized Sunday sales will encourage drunk driving or result in increased crime – objections that were first raised two decades earlier when the city first considered legalizing the sale of alcohol.
“Those things have never come to fruition, in terms of drinking and driving or crime,” Van Dorp said. “It was brought up, that it would lead to the demise of this great city. We haven’t seen it since (alcohol sales were legalized), and I don’t think we’ll see it by adding one more day.”
Two members of the Shopping Area Redevelopment Board (SARB) – Doug Vos of Don’s Flowers and Gifts and the Rev. Eric Barnes, co-pastor of Second Reformed Church – earlier submitted letters in support of Sunday sales, citing encouraging business activity downtown while giving businesses the option to remain closed on Sundays.
Mayor Pro Tem Sally Gruppen, who presided over Monday’s meeting because Mayor Kevin Klynstra was out of town on personal business, was the lone no vote. Gruppen consistently raised concerns during council discussions on allowing Sunday sales, given the closeness of the November 2006 ballot proposal that passed by 40 votes.
“People in some of the apartments downtown here love the Sundays. Why? It’s quiet. They love sitting on their balconies and looking out their windows, watching families ride their bikes,” Gruppen said.
“I think God wants us to have that Sabbath day of rest, right? That’s in my mind, and I just know it works,” Gruppen added.
Zeeland Record
The Zeeland City Council has given the go-ahead for alcohol to be sold in the city on Sundays, starting next month.
The council Monday voted 5-1 to approve a second and final reading on the proposal to permit the sale of alcohol between 12 noon Sunday and 2 a.m. Monday, or during a special event within that time period that has been approved by the council. The ordinance amendment covers both on-premises and off-premises liquor license holders.
In addition, the council gave final passage to allowing alcohol to be possessed and consumed in a city park that is part of the social district if the alcohol is purchased from a social district license holder and if all of the district’s guidelines are followed. That ordinance amendment passed 6-0.
Vande Luyster Square and Elm Street Park are located within the social district boundaries. The splash pad downtown will not be part of the social district, City Marketing Director Abby deRoo said.
While the city approved allowing alcohol possession and consumption in city parks that are in the social district, it will not allow alcohol in the district on Sundays. The city will keep its current social district hours of 8 a.m. to 11 p.m. Monday through Saturday.
The ordinance change is expected to take effect around Dec. 18, or 21 days after the ordinance is published in the Zeeland Record, City Attorney Jim Donkersloot said.
Monday’s vote ended nearly a year of discussion on Sunday alcohol sales. While the city has allowed the sale of alcohol since 2006, the city ordinance up until now has banned Sunday sales. City officials early this year reached out to liquor license holders to see if they had any interest in being allowed to sell alcohol on Sunday. One downtown restaurant – the Gritzmaker – expressed interest, saying it would bolster their business.
Despite the extensive discussion by City Council, the Sunday alcohol issue generated relatively few public comments over the last couple of months. Only one person spoke prior to Monday’s vote – a Zeeland Township resident, Chet Seay, who opposed allowing Sunday sales over concerns that it would encourage drunk driving. Seay cited numerous statistics on crashes, fatalities and injuries tied to drunk driving.
“As I understand it, we’ve got a few restaurants, one in particular, that want to make some additional revenue … I have no problem with people drinking alcohol. I have a problem when you drink alcohol – I don’t care whether it’s a glass of wine or you get wasted – and then you decide it’s time to get behind the wheel of a vehicle. Now you’ve put our families at risk, and mine,” Seay said.
The council of North Street Christian Reformed Church earlier objected to Sunday sales over concerns that church members may encounter people possessing alcohol as they enter or exit Sunday night worship services.
Councilman Rick Van Dorp, who will assume the office of mayor Dec. 1, doesn’t buy the concerns that legalized Sunday sales will encourage drunk driving or result in increased crime – objections that were first raised two decades earlier when the city first considered legalizing the sale of alcohol.
“Those things have never come to fruition, in terms of drinking and driving or crime,” Van Dorp said. “It was brought up, that it would lead to the demise of this great city. We haven’t seen it since (alcohol sales were legalized), and I don’t think we’ll see it by adding one more day.”
Two members of the Shopping Area Redevelopment Board (SARB) – Doug Vos of Don’s Flowers and Gifts and the Rev. Eric Barnes, co-pastor of Second Reformed Church – earlier submitted letters in support of Sunday sales, citing encouraging business activity downtown while giving businesses the option to remain closed on Sundays.
Mayor Pro Tem Sally Gruppen, who presided over Monday’s meeting because Mayor Kevin Klynstra was out of town on personal business, was the lone no vote. Gruppen consistently raised concerns during council discussions on allowing Sunday sales, given the closeness of the November 2006 ballot proposal that passed by 40 votes.
“People in some of the apartments downtown here love the Sundays. Why? It’s quiet. They love sitting on their balconies and looking out their windows, watching families ride their bikes,” Gruppen said.
“I think God wants us to have that Sabbath day of rest, right? That’s in my mind, and I just know it works,” Gruppen added.
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