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Council weighs limiting alcohol for Gasparilla

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By CHRISTIAN M. WADE cwade@tampatrib.com

The Tampa Tribune

Published: October 23, 2009

TAMPA - For many, Gasparilla without free-flowing alcohol is like a beach without sand.

But some say drunken behavior during the city's signature event is out of hand.

At a workshop Thursday, several Tampa City Council members voiced their support for curbing alcohol sales during Gasparilla, citing complaints about rampaging partygoers from residents who live along the parade route.

For starters, they want to send a letter to liquor, convenience and grocery stores asking them to voluntarily curb sales during the parade to crack down on public drunkenness.

"If that doesn't work, maybe we should look into legal options, including a moratorium on alcohol sales," Councilman John Dingfelder said. "I don't want to go that far this year."

A spokeswoman for ABC Fine Wine & Spirits, which has a store on Kennedy Boulevard, said the company has a policy of not selling alcohol to patrons who are intoxicated.

"We will continue to follow our policy of not selling to clearly impaired persons and will follow all state and local laws governing alcohol sales," Lorena Streeter said.

The issue was raised after a presentation from city and police officials and event organizers about changes to the annual event aimed at curtailing bad behavior.

Among the changes:

•Increase the number of police officers in neighborhoods and enforce a zero-tolerance policy for underage drinking, open containers and public urination.

•Double the number of portable toilets from 800 to 1,600.

•Reroute the parade so it finishes on Ashley Drive, extending it about three blocks to Curtis Hixon Park, to keep thin the crowd in residential areas.

•Remove the bleachers along a half-mile of the route on the bay side of Bayshore Boulevard, between Howard and Rome avenues, to provide more room for spectators.

Representatives from several neighborhood associations welcomed the changes.

"I'm very impressed with what has been done," said Rosemary Henderson, president of the Historic Hyde Park Neighborhood Association. "We look forward to a better day."

The Gasparilla Pirate Fest is scheduled for Jan. 30.

Reporter Christian M. Wade can be reached at (813) 259-7679

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