Two Controversial Decisions
Social Districts, C-PACER Dominate Bristol Town Meeting
BRISTOL — Voters at Bristol’s three-and-a-half-hour Town Meeting on March 14 adopted a $10,489,158 municipal budget with little discussion, but they had more of a problem with articles allowing public drinking areas known as “social districts” and with establishing a Commercial Property Assessed Clean Energy and Resilience (C-PACER) district.
The discussion of social districts revolved around the costs to the community, as well as the potential for disrupting traffic and contributing to unruly behavior.
During a public hearing prior to Town Meeting, the selectmen voiced their support for social districts but said they did not want to embark on the planning required to gain NH Liquor Commission approval without first ensuring that voters would support the initiative. Cheryl Ciszewski of River Road, on the other hand, argued that the town should have plans in place for social districts before asking voters to approve them.
Many town residents have said they had no idea what a social district is, and the legally required language for the warrant article simply stated, “To see if the Town will allow the operation of social districts within the Town of Bristol.”
Rob Glassett, chair of the Bristol Select Board, explained that passing the article would allow the town to designate areas where adults 21 years and older could consume alcohol.
“[I]n working with the rest of the board with this, in discussions we’ve had with local business owners, we feel this could be a benefit, particularly in the downtown area, where there’s multiple businesses that do serve alcohol,” Glassett said. “[T]his would allow them … to allow folks to be able to leave the facility and go out into the town square area and enjoy a beverage.”
Noting that regular liquor restrictions would remain in place, he said, “The idea of this is not for people to be able to just freely go to the convenience store and pick up a 12-pack and go sit on the common…. So it wouldn’t be a free-for-all, in other words.”