Drinking outside in Plaza Midwood or South End? It could soon be a reality.

NoDa, Plaza Midwood and South End residents showed support of alcohol social districts at a Charlotte Council public hearing Monday night, but they also have a shared concern: single-use plastic cups.

Alcohol social districts, if approved by Charlotte City Council next week, would allow neighborhood and merchant organizations to request the creation of areas that allow people to drink alcohol from open containers outdoors in predetermined boundaries.

Seven Charlotte residents spoke during a public hearing Monday night in support of the districts, but more than half said their support was conditional.

Litter was at the forefront of the mind for speakers from NoDa and Plaza Midwood, northeast Charlotte neighborhoods that have expressed interest in creating social districts. Four residents from the neighborhoods said they believe if the takeout cups sold in social districts are made of single-use plastic, the litter issue will only get worse.

Nicole Peterson, with the NoDa Neighborhood and Business Association, said the organization picks up eight to 10 bags of litter around the neighborhood once a month — and that social districts would make it worse.

Nancy Pierce, who also spoke against single-use plastic cups, suggested districts use biodegradable cardboard cups.

“Our prosperous and forward-thinking city should be in the forefront of banning, not encouraging, the use of single-use disposable plastic cups,” said Pierce, a resident of the Mary Oaks neighborhood near Plaza Midwood.

Three of her friends waved signs to the council that said “no single-use plastic” and “no plastic cups” while Pierce spoke.

Sam Spencer, former chair of the Charlotte Mecklenburg-Planning Commission, said he’s worried for public safety, specifically in the South End.

“If you’ve been to South End anytime in the past 10 years, you know it’s already a de facto social district,” Spencer said during the public hearing.

He recounted a former job as an Uber driver where he said he saw pedestrians walking in the middle of the street or train tracks in the neighborhood. He fears adding alcohol to the mix will make the South End even more dangerous.

Spencer suggested the council pass the allowance of social districts next week on schedule, but to use the implementation as an opportunity to work toward Charlotte’s Vision Zero, a localized program that works to increase mobility and end all traffic deaths and injuries.

Strategies Charlotte is implementing to achieve Vision Zero include upgrading pedestrian infrastructure and building bike infrastructure.

Charlotte City Council wants enforcement, noise restrictions

Resident concerns voiced at the public hearing don’t align with those that some council members shared with The Charlotte Observer. In a recent poll, council members said they feared noise complaints and the need for additional law enforcement.

“What do the merchants and bar owners do to ensure that this thing functions as intended?” District 7 Councilman Ed Driggs said in an early August interview. At the time, Driggs said he was unsure how he would vote on social districts.

Council members Renee Johnson, Braxton Winston and Victoria Watlington did not respond to requests for comment regarding the social districts.

At a July meeting, Watlington said she would like to see public safety risks addressed before voting.

Some rules in place, some not yet set

If approved during the City Council’s Aug. 22 meeting, Charlotte would join a growing list of North Carolina social districts. Raleigh launched its downtown social district Monday, joining Kannapolis, Monroe and other North Carolina municipalities.

House Bill 980 was signed in 2021, legalizing social districts in the state. Social district supporters expect them to drive economic prosperity for the service, retail and tourism industries.

Representatives from the South End, NoDa and Plaza Midwood spoke of the positive economic and social impact they believe social districts could have on their neighborhoods.

“We think it’s an important way to activate the pedestrian network,” said Ryan Fergusson, a board member for the Plaza Midwood Merchants’ Association.

Clifton Castelloe, president of the Plaza Midwood Merchants’ Association, wants to be involved with creating rules for the district.

“We would not support the idea of social districts if that meant using single-use plastics,” Castelloe said.

Regulations for the districts at the state level include:

• Social districts must be set up with clear signs along streets and parks in defined areas.

• Bars and restaurants must provide social district-labeled cups.

• Alcoholic drinks must be purchased from ABC-permitted businesses within the social district.

• Drinks must be a maximum of 16 fluid ounces.

Additional social district rules specific to Charlotte won’t be determined if approved next week, but individually when an organization requests the creation of a district in their neighborhood.