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Keystone to reconsider allowing alcohol at the Pavilion

By Don Coble don@claytodayonline.com
Posted 12/8/21

KEYSTONE HEIGHTS – Residents may soon be able to pop the cork at the Keystone Heights Beach Pavilion if the city council decides to amend its policies against alcohol use at the popular recreation …

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Keystone to reconsider allowing alcohol at the Pavilion


Posted

KEYSTONE HEIGHTS – Residents may soon be able to pop the cork at the Keystone Heights Beach Pavilion if the city council decides to amend its policies against alcohol use at the popular recreation area.

Keystone Height Councilman Tony Brown rekindled a common request during last Monday’s monthly meeting from many local residents to allow alcohol consumption at private events in the city park. But unlike other efforts, the council decided to continue the proposal during next month’s meeting.

“In the past couple months, I’ve been approached by some people that are interested [in allowing alcohol in the pavilion],” Brown said. “Personally, I’m not for having it open for alcohol, but we do have some organizations. We do have a beautiful pavilion. Everybody talks so highly about what the pavilion looks like, compared to what it did look like. We do have some organizations who might be interested in doing something there, like Christmas parties. And then we have birthday parties. We had a couple that got married there a couple weekends ago down there.

“I just wanted to bring this back up to the possibility of [us] addressing having … I personally don’t want to see it where you can rent the pavilion and bring a keg and your liquor and all that stuff. I don’t see a problem because this community … I personally don’t want to drive the Gainesville for an organizational Christmas party or something like that when I can have it here in Keystone.”

Mayor Karen Lake said she’s more open to allowing alcohol at the pavilion, but she’d like to start slow and adjust accordingly.

“I love baby steps,” she said. “I also have a concern about being the final decision if you anticipate telling someone ‘yes’ and another person ‘no.’”

The city recently remodeled the iconic focal point of the Lake Region, and that brought the picnic, playground, clubhouse and beach area back to life. And with it came an increased interest in holding private parties there. Allowing a group to serve alcohol would make the park more attractive.

Councilman Stephen Hart said it also would keep local business in town.

“Conceptionally, I like the idea,” he said. “I would not oppose going down this path. People having to drive to Gainesville or Palatka or something like that, you are subjecting them to a lot more risk than they should be if we could just have it here – but have reasonable standards.”

The council agreed there are more questions that must be answered before it agrees to open the taps. Some of the biggest concerns were security, creating a limited access area to separate children and adults and figuring out how private functions would affect public access.

Lake said the council could take the rest of the month to think about other issues – and solutions. She said the council should continue discussions at its next meeting on Jan. 3.

In other business, the City approved a resolution for City Manager Lynn Rutkowski to pay the Florida Department of Transportation for a Traffic Signal Maintenance and Compensation Agreement for the next seven years. The first-year cost will be $17,247.78.

Keystone Heights has 62 street lights along two roadways – State Road 21 from Commercial Circle to Pointview Avenue and on State Road 100 from NW Berea Avenue and SE Lakeview Drive.

The City also agreed to create an interlocal agreement with the Clay County School District to close a portion of Southwest Pecan Street during the drop off and pick up times on school days at Keystone Heights Elementary. The school district agrees to pay the costs of a traffic control arm.

And the City agreed to extend its contract with Advanced Disposal Services of Jacksonville. Residential fees will range from $33.73 a month for a 96-gallon container, up to $368.73 a month for an eight-yard commercial dumpster.