Council OKs Plan for Beer Sales in Cups Only : Pier: Officials hope the disposable containers will keep buyers at fast-food restaurants from taking their drinks outside.

SANTA MONICA —  The Big Blue Bus in Santa Monica may soon be joined by the Big Blue Cup.

As part of an alcohol policy for the redeveloping pier, the City Council on Tuesday night voted 4 to 3 to mandate the use of official, disposable cups for beer bought over the counter in fast-food restaurants.

Alcoholic beverages are supposed to be consumed inside restaurants, but Councilman Kelly Olsen had four full beer bottles at the meeting that he said he bought at pier diners and carried outside.

Council members decided that a clearly recognizable, standardized cup will discourage drinkers from disobeying the rules. And, more important, even if customers take their beer outside, the cups cannot be used as dangerous projectiles, as they were during the riots.

Failing to pass was a separate motion by Olsen to require those who order alcoholic beverages to also order food if they are seated on outdoor dining patios planned for the pier. Only Mayor Ken Genser supported Olsen, and when they failed to get support, they voted against the overall policy as not stringent enough.

“What we’re doing is facilitating alcohol to be sold at every opportunity,” Olsen said. “I hope we will be more aggressive in the citywide alcohol policy.”

Santa Monica has been grappling with how--and how much--to control alcohol in the city. As a regional attraction, the pier draws 3 million visitors annually.

The most contentious part of the pier alcohol policy--the number of alcohol outlets and how many customers they may serve--was postponed until the council considers a citywide policy after studying the alcohol issue.

At this point, the council majority disagreed with more drastic, temperance measures being pushed by Genser and Olsen, as well as citizens who complain that Santa Monica is being turned into a mecca for alcohol.

“I don’t think there’s anything onerous about watching the sunset on a nice, warm summer night and having a drink,” Councilman Herb Katz said.

As passed, the pier alcohol policy prohibits future fast-food tenants from selling alcohol, forbids its sale at stands with a counter only and no inside seating, and calls for no liquor sold outside eating establishments.