ESCANABA — The Escanaba City Council unanimously approved the creation of a social district in downtown Escanaba during its regular meeting Thursday night, opening the doors to legalized drinking on Ludington Street.

A total of 15 businesses have signed on to the district, which encompasses the area between First Avenue North and First Avenue South, from 14th Street on the west end and wrapping around to the Escanaba Marina on the east end. The area also includes the area of the former jail, and the Municipal Dock.

Under the rules of the district, those establishments would be required to sell alcohol for drinking outside within “common areas” in the district in special non-glass cups, marked with both the logo of the establishment and the logo of the social district itself. Permanent common areas include the sidewalks on Ludington from 14th Street to the east-end of the Municipal Dock as well as the 100 blocks of north 9th and north 7th streets and the northern halves of the 100 blocks of south 13th and 15th streets.

The Escanaba Downtown Development Authority, which is managing the district will sell stickers to businesses who plan to use their own complaint cups without buying special cups marked with the district’s branding.

While the council was unanimous in its support for the proposal, there were concerns raised about special “event commons areas,” located at the Municipal Dock and the marina. These commons areas are unique in that the liquor licensee that is selling alcohol in the district may be a non-profit holding an event with a temporary liquor license. For those events, only alcohol sold by the licensee in their social district cups would be allowed to be consumed at the Marina or Municipal Dock. Carry-ins or drinks coming from neighboring businesses participating in the social district would not be permitted.

“That’s a community space that we have community events and I think we’re all concerned with the potential of a group wanting to (with good intentions) have an event there and have a social district event so they can sell things but then it also kind of restricts some of the freedoms that we’ve been enjoying in this space that we’ve just been relearning how to utilize in the last decade,” said Mayor Mark Ammel.

Escanaba DDA Director Craig Woerpel clarified that not all events held at the two parks need to be social district events. An event applicant can choose to hold a more traditional event and allow carry-ins as long as their own alcohol sale area is fenced in. The district allows for alcohol sales — and also outdoor dining at participating businesses in the district — to take place without any fencing.

“I kinda like the idea of not having a fence,” said Council Member Todd Flath, who is active in the organization of the Labor Day festivities held at the Municipal Dock every year.

At times when there is not a social district event, the public will be able to bring drinks to the Municipal Dock and marina as they currently do. When asked how the general public would know if a social district event was limiting to their ability to bring drinks to the park Woerpel said it was the DDA’s responsibility to inform the public. He noted that some of the legally-required signage marking out the boundaries of the district would likely have QR codes leading to a website with event information.

The council also raised concerns over the possibility of additional garbage being created by people leaving the social district cups on the street. Some discussion was had about installing additional garbage cans along the downtown, but Woerpel noted that the city’s upcoming streetscape project slated for next year would change how and where garage collection took place.

In other business the council

— Voted to approve the purchase of playground equipment for Rose Park, as well as hire two professional playground installers to help the city’s department of public works in installing that playground and other playgrounds in a total of five city parks. As part of a series of parks-related motions, the city voted to donate the existing equipment from Royce Park to Baldwin Township in exchange for at $2,000 donation from the township.

— Approved hiring Havelka Construction for concrete pile crushing for $24,600.

— Approved hiring Range Telecommunications of Marquette to manage after-hour calls for the city’s water and wastewater departments. Those calls are currently routed through Delta County Central Dispatch and have become a strain on dispatch.

— Approved retaining Keynecta of Green Bay, Wis. for safety training for the city’s water and wastewater departments.

— Approved a renewable energy plan for the city’s electric department, as required by state law.