Items of Interest: Yountville Town Council Aug. 5 – Part 1
By Kimberly Cook
Entertainment Zone
The Yountville Town Council, seeking to create more vibrancy in town, took the first step towards approving the creation of an entertainment zone in Yountville. This new designation will allow people over the age of 21 to leave licensed businesses with open containers of alcohol for off-site consumption.
The new option will cover all of Washington Street, from Champagne Drive in the south to Jackson Street at the north end, and adding Yount Street and part of Finnell Road to be able to include Lucy at Bardessono and The Coop in the proposed entertainment zone.
Only businesses with the proper alcohol permits will be able to participate in offering to-go alcoholic beverages. The council members were all very supportive of the idea of creating this new option of public alcohol consumption as a way to make Yountville more popular with tourists.
If it is put in place, in late September the zone will be in effect 365 days a year, from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. There will be a second reading of this ordinance, and a final vote at the next town council meeting on Aug. 19.
The state mandates that the portable to-go containers for use in these zones be non-metal and non-glass, meaning that in Yountville they would most likely be plastic. The input from the Napa County Sheriff’s Office addressed a few concerns regarding alcohol-related crimes, but noted that the California Penal Code will be enforced as necessary, and that there may be times when additional staff could be required for special events. This first vote was 5-0 in favor.
Part 2 of Kimberly Cook’s report will be published next week, and cover August 5 Town Council topics including Dulinsky recogniton, news about a new financial advisor for Yountville Commons and temporary use permits.
