Westfield Council Passes Outdoor Drinking Ordinance Despite Concerns

WESTFIELD, NJ — In response to an ordinance that would allow open containers of alcohol in certain areas of Downtown Westfield, residents spoke out against the new outdoor drinking proposal at Tuesday's Town Council meeting.

Despite listening to residents' concerns over potential safety and parking issues associated with the outdoor drinking ordinance, Westfield's Town Council unanimously passed the resolution Tuesday night.

The ordinance allows people, 21 and over, to drink alcohol on streets — such as Quimby and Elm Street — primarily near downtown restaurants. It will also allow locals to drink in designated areas during town-sanctioned events, block parties and special Downtown Westfield Corporation-sponsored events like "Sweet Sounds Downtown."

Read more: Outdoor Drinking On Agenda For Westfield Council Meeting

However, two residents in particular spoke out against the ordinance, naming a number of issues.

Westfield resident and business owner Courtney Schael said she thinks the new ordinance is "ludicrous" because it will primarily serve the restaurants in town, as opposed to service businesses, such as her law firm, on Quimby Street.

"Once again there's another ordinance to help restaurants," Schael said. "I guess drinking in the streets is supposed to help the restaurants, but what about the service businesses?"

Schael said there are several retail vacancies in town and that businesses like hers were some of the only ones paying rent during the pandemic when restaurants couldn't do so.

She also added that closing off Quimby Street for outdoor dining, and now outdoor drinking, eliminates parking spaces, which is causing her business to suffer. She said most of her clients refuse to park in Westfield and she now mainly does home visits.

Schael said there are at least 28 parking spots along Quimby Street, but they are all 15-minute parking spaces. Again, she said this mainly benefits the restaurants because it allows people to park temporarily to pick up food orders, but it does not help service businesses that require a longer stay.

"Who can get their nails done in 15 minutes?" Schael said.

She further argued that the closed-down areas of Quimby Street are hardly used during the week and that it's being blocked off for "no reason."

"During the summer, Quimby Street was closed down. It was originally part of the pandemic, but now it's closed down permanently for six months out of the year and it's barely used except for Friday and Saturday nights. It expands capacity for two restaurants — Brick Oven and the pizzeria next to [my business] ... It's absurd," Schael said.

Another resident, John Blake, brought up the issue of liability for the town in relation to the outdoor drinking ordinance.

"You're providing an open area where anyone can bring any kind of alcoholic beverage they want and sit down and drink it," Blake said, "There's nobody there to safeguard who's getting it and whether or not the people are minors or adults."

He said the only sort of regulation the town can enforce is the state law prohibiting public drunkenness.

"You could easily have someone bring a keg of beer onto Quimby Street and either sit by himself there with pizza and chug it, or have a load of other people there," Blake said. "You don't know who's going to be there serving what, and the public doesn't have the safeguard that is built into the laws surrounding licensees."

Mayor Shelley Brindle then clarified that this ordinance enables people to get packaged wine or beverages and sit outside restaurants like Farinolio and drink, which is currently not allowed.

"This issue of drunkenness in downtown isn't it at all," Brindle said. "It's a way to get people to be able to enjoy downtown. It's really no different than going to a BYO restaurant ..."

Brindle added that the proposal was made in consultation with the Downtown Westfield Corporation and the Police Chief.

The entirely of Tuesday's meeting and discussion can be view on the town's Facebook page.

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