Neighborhood residents rallied against plan to provide beer adjacent to Aquatic Center
The board that oversees the operation of the Burlington Community Aquatic Center has decided to drop a proposal to sell beer from an adjacent patio in Burlington’s Devor Park.
The Burlington Community Pool Board Inc. met Thursday to discuss the proposal, one week after holding an open house to listen to input from community members regarding the proposal.
The majority of those who spoke at the meeting – many of them residing in the neighborhood near Devor Park – opposed the idea.
The Pool Board issued the following statement Friday morning:
“The Burlington Community Pool Board Inc. has decided not to pursue a request to the City of Burlington Common Council for a license to serve beer and wine at Devor Park. We thank community members for their input on this proposal and appreciate their support as we continue to focus on the long-term success of the Burlington Community Aquatic Center.”
The proposal to sell beer and wine at a yet-to-be created patio area adjacent to the Aquatic Center drew sharp opposition from speakers attending the open house on Aug. 6.
Most of the speakers said they believed it is a bad idea to allow alcohol in a park that includes the Aquatic Center, tennis courts and a playground.
“There is a lot of alcohol here in Wisconsin and this is one place that it is not,” resident Lisa Kendall said. “I think that this is not a good modeling presentation.”
(For a full report on the Aug. 6 open house, see the Aug. 13 edition of the Burlington Standard Press).
Members of the Pool Board have said the proposal could create another revenue stream that would help support the ongoing operation of the Aquatic Center. The Pool Board is a non-profit group of volunteers that manages the facility at no cost to City of Burlington taxpayers.
Board members initially touted the proposal as targeting families and Aquatic Center members with the focus on shared activities, not alcohol. The proposal received the backing of the city’s Park Board in June and was scheduled to go before the Common Council for discussion in early July when the Pool Board pulled it back to address public concerns.
Alderman and Pool Board member Bob Grandi explained there would be no access to the patio directly from the Aquatic Center and reiterated that alcohol use is strictly prohibited inside the facility.
Stephen Quist, one of three people who spoke in favor of the proposal at the open house, said he often patronizes beer gardens in public spaces with his family.
“You are not going to have any issues. People are going to come down and be responsible. It is attractive to the community. It is going to bring people in. You are going to be able to raise money,” said Quist. “It is something that young families are looking for.”
For a full story on the Pool Board decision, see the Aug. 20 edition of the Burlington Standard Press.
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