The BORO isn’t going to be expanded if District 3 City Councilmember Zack Matheny has his way.
The BORO is a “social district” in downtown Greensboro where people are allowed to walk around the defined area with alcoholic beverages. The alcoholic beverages can be taken into a shop or store but not into another bar or restaurant licensed to sell alcoholic beverages.
The BORO is in City Council District 3, represented by Matheny, and Matheny is also president of Downtown Greensboro Inc., which was the driving force behind establishing The BORO, and DGI also manages the social district.
Matheny said that he was not consulted or even informed that the city staff planned to propose that the boundaries of The BORO be expanded.
At the City Council meeting on Tuesday, Dec. 6, Matheny repeatedly said that he was not in favor of the expansion.
When the motion was made, or at least it appeared a motion was made, to continue the agenda item concerning the expansion of The BORO to the Dec. 20 meeting, Matheny opposed the motion to continue.
There were a flurry of motions made about continuing the agenda items on the Community Heroes program, expanding The BORO and creating a new social district along State Street and the City Council voted in favor of at least one of the motions.
When what was covered by the motion that the City Council had passed, it became the topic of a confusing discussion. Councilmember Tammi Thurm made a motion to rescind whatever action the City Council had taken and start over. That motion by Thurm passed, but it still took a while for the City Council to figure out how to continue the items.
Matheny repeatedly said that he was in favor of the State Street social district and would help the business owners on State Street with the process of creating a social district, but that he was not in favor of expanding The BORO and was not in favor of continuing that agenda item to the next meeting.
Matheny said, “I’m baffled that this is even being considered without a conversation with the representative of District 3.”
Matheny added, “I don’t want it on the agenda at all.”
Eventually, the City Council voted to continue both the expansion of The BORO and the creation of a new social district on State Street to the Dec. 20 meeting, with Matheny and Councilmember Sharon Hightower voting against the motion to continue the expansion of The BORO.
The last thing that Greensboro needs is people walking around done town drunk. What is the purpose of this other than trying to get money out of their pockets. This idea is evil and wrong. Citizens should be treated better than this and appreciated. People matters!!! Bartenders do more than just serving drinks, they keep an eye on the customers and stops serving drinks when a person has had enough drinks. Anyone can buy little bottles at the ABC store and bring them with them. There is no stopping them to drink all the amounts they want to drink. In other words, there is no limit as to how much a person can drink. There is no control at all of how drunk they can become. Can’t these people think about anyone but themselves when making decisions about Greensboro.
Have you been downtown since this has been allowed? I live down here and I haven’t seen anyone being so drunk they can’t walk down the street with a beer in their hand. For the most part people don’t even know it exists, outside of folks who live down here. Maybe take a walk downtown and see how wild The BORO has gotten since they have opened this up.
Oh, no! Our govt knows what is best for us. Bend the knee.
How about repeal all open carry laws? The government has better things to do than check who has what type of cup where. Alcohol abusers will drink anywhere anyway. But if they do that they can’t harass homeless folks……Matheny wants carveouts in his downtown zone so they can harass poor folks that can’t afford 15 craft cocktails on their way to 50year old Broadway revivals.
Thank you Zach. I won’t go Downtown at night anymore. Too many drunks walking around with drinks in their hand. Waiting on the first violent fight or shooting. It seems to me that Councilman Matheny is the only council member arhat actually thinks through a proposal.