On Monday, May 24th the Mountain Brook City Council voted unanimously to pass an ordinance establishing entertainment districts in Crestline, English and Mountain Brook villages. The Council began by taking comments and concerns from residents. Concerns included safety, parking, noise, manpower and budgetary concerns over possible clean-up, and a concern over the English Village district’s boundaries in relation to residential homes. Council members provided reassurances that the ordinance had been discussed and studied for over a year. Chief Ted Cook of The Mountain Brook Police Department and Mountain Brook Public Works were consulted before the bill was even introduced in Montgomery.
This was the next step in the legislative process begun by State Representative David Faulkner when he introduced Bill 479 to provide the Mountain Brook City Council the authority to establish and regulate entertainment districts within city limits. The Bill was passed on April 8, 2021.
What does this mean for the city? Authorized businesses with alcohol licenses within the entertainment districts could allow drinks to be taken off premises and consumed within the entertainment district boundaries during certain hours: “Sunday through Wednesday from Noon to 9pm; Thursday through Sunday from Noon to 11pm; for Special Events approved pursuant to the Event Permit Application.” Mountain Brook would join a roster of other cities like Vestavia Hills, Hoover, and Trussville who have recently established similar districts.
In regards to concerns about what the districts would end up looking like, Councilman Gerald Garner noted “this isn’t going to be Bourbon Street.”
