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The LaGrange City Council has voted to approve separate ordinances that will allow the sale and consumption of alcohol in Hillside and another ordinance to forbid camping in public parks and right-of-ways.

The first ordinance comes at the request of DASH, a neighborhood revitalization non-profit, which asked the city to allow sidewalk cafes similar to the downtown area.  

Similar to downtown, the ordinance allows alcohol consumption on the sidewalk in front of businesses. The businesses along a portion of Lincoln Street can now set up tables, chairs and umbrellas and allow patrons on-premises consumption of food and drinks, including alcohol.

The ordinance makes it so the city’s open container ordinance does not apply in the special zone.

The city also approved an ordinance to prohibit camping in public parks and public right-of-ways.

While camping in public parks was already largely forbidden as the hours of public parks do not allow for being in the parks overnight, it gives police an increased ability to deal with unwanted persons in public areas and the trash they often leave behind.

The ordinance is based in large part on a Gwinnett County ordinance that prevents camping or storing personal property in city parks, streets and sidewalks or on other public property to the extent that it would block ingress and egress to and from buildings.

Previously, police were only allowed to ticket people for camping on public property after they had been criminally trespassed, so they would often just find another public spot to set up camp and start the process all over.

The new ordinance allows police to use discretion to warn or cite individuals on the first offense.

Both ordinances were unanimously approved by the council.