Alcohol at Special Events in Long Bridge Park and Penrose Square
Location
475 Long Bridge Dr, Arlington, VA 22202 and 2597 Columbia Pike, Arlington, VA 22204, Arlington, VA View Map
StatusApproved
Planning Process Begins: 3rd Quarter 2022
Planning Process Ends: 1st Quarter 2023
About the Project
The 2019 Public Space Master Plan (PSMP) recommends (1.6.2.) that the County expand the number of parks where a special event can include the sale of alcoholic beverages. This would include updating Section 17-2 of the Arlington County Code to permit the sale of alcoholic beverages at special events in Long Bridge Park and Penrose Square. At present, County Code only allows alcohol at approved special events at Fort C. F. Smith Park, Clarendon Central Park, and Gateway Park.
The County is proposing to amend the code by adding Long Bridge Park and Penrose Square to the list.
These two sites were selected as both sites are designed as event venues, which is referenced in their master plans, and both currently host a variety of events that could be enhanced by alcohol sales on site vs. in the right of way, including things like concert series, movie nights, and other large scale events.
About the Process
As part of the PSMP update, the County undertook a statistically valid survey, where nearly 60% of survey respondents indicated that they would support the sale of food and alcoholic beverages, at least on a temporary basis, in parks and public spaces. Slightly more than 60% supported the sales in the County’s high-density corridors parks and plazas. With this in mind, the PSMP (1.6.2.) recommends that the County expand the number of parks where a special event can include the sale of alcoholic beverages. The goal is to make these spaces vibrant and community building while supporting economic growth in the area.
Arlington will engage the community to seek feedback about expansion of alcohol at special events in Long Bridge Park and Penrose Square.
October 2022: Project engagement started on Oct. 6, 2022, with a virtual presentation and online questionnaire.
December 2022: In total, the County received more than 1,200 engagement responses. Here is the engagement summary(PDF, 788KB) and report(PDF, 230KB) to share what we learned.
January 2023: The County Board adopted the changes to the County Code at the Regular Meeting on January 21st. The Code change is effective immediately, and the Special Events Committee will consider applications for special events where alcohol will be served at Penrose Square and Long Bridge Park, in addition to Clarendon Central, Gateway, and Fort C.F. Smith Parks where it had previously been permitted.
Next Steps
Looking forward, in coming years the County may explore adding more park locations where alcohol can be consumed at special events to encompass the full scope of the Public Spaces Master Plan (PSMP), while monitoring events and any potential issues at the new sites that could inform the study.
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