South Gate : Council Postpones Proposal for Alcohol Sales in Park

The City Council has postponed indefinitely a proposal to allow alcohol sales in certain facilities at the city’s largest park. The council voted unanimously without discussion Monday to remove a staff recommendation from the agenda.

The proposal would have raised approximately $60,000 a year by allowing the sale of alcoholic beverages at South Gate Park. Sales would have been restricted to the auditorium, Girls’ Clubhouse and golf course.

More than 150 people crowded into the council chamber during the meeting. Many were opposed to the proposal, including pastors and members of local churches.

“We feel alcohol is more of a liability than an assest. We would need more police protection,” said the Rev. George Jameson, president of the South Gate Ministerial Alliance.

“As an All-America City, we would not be setting a fine example to let everybody know we are putting alcohol in the park,” Jameson said. South Gate was recently honored as an All-America City by the National Civic League.

Mayor Robert A. Philipp said the crowd did not influence the council. Philipp said the recommendation originally had been planned for discussion along with other items for the 1990-91 budget. When it became clear that those items would not be ready for discussion, he decided to drop the alcohol proposal, Philipp said.