PARK HILL, NORTH LITTLE ROCK — An effort to bring alcohol to one of the last dry neighborhoods in Pulaski County kicked off during a meeting Monday evening.
Park Hill in North Little Rock has banned booze since the 1960’s, but some local businesses are banding together to change that.
They think Park Hill can become a trendy eating and shopping area like the Heights and Hillcrest in Little Rock.
First, they have to change the law and that’s something that can only be accomplished through a vote.
Supporters picked precinct captains, passed around maps and distributed campaign material during a meeting Monday evening.
In order to get the issue in front of voters in the fall, they’ll have to collect a little over 1,400 signatures in about three weeks.
Legalizing alcohol would “increase business, it would increase sales, get more patronage in here,” said Ken Dempsey, chef at E’s Bistro.
If the petition drive is successful, the issue of whether to keep Park Hill dry would go before voters in mid-September.
Only the roughly 4,000 registered voters in Park Hill can sign petitions, and only those folks would be eligible to vote.
According to the North Little Rock Chamber of Commerce, Park Hill is one of only four dry areas in Pulaski County.
Chamber CEO Terry Hartwick says two dry cities, Jacksonville and Sherwood, will be watching this petition drive closely as some folks in those areas are looking to follow suit.
Park Hill in North Little Rock has banned booze since the 1960’s, but some local businesses are banding together to change that.
They think Park Hill can become a trendy eating and shopping area like the Heights and Hillcrest in Little Rock.
First, they have to change the law and that’s something that can only be accomplished through a vote.
Supporters picked precinct captains, passed around maps and distributed campaign material during a meeting Monday evening.
In order to get the issue in front of voters in the fall, they’ll have to collect a little over 1,400 signatures in about three weeks.
Legalizing alcohol would “increase business, it would increase sales, get more patronage in here,” said Ken Dempsey, chef at E’s Bistro.
If the petition drive is successful, the issue of whether to keep Park Hill dry would go before voters in mid-September.
Only the roughly 4,000 registered voters in Park Hill can sign petitions, and only those folks would be eligible to vote.
According to the North Little Rock Chamber of Commerce, Park Hill is one of only four dry areas in Pulaski County.
Chamber CEO Terry Hartwick says two dry cities, Jacksonville and Sherwood, will be watching this petition drive closely as some folks in those areas are looking to follow suit.