Graham hears public input on proposed downtown social district
Graham weighed a downtown social district as merchants split over whether beer-and-wine cups would boost foot traffic or add enforcement headaches.
Graham City Council heard residents and business owners Monday night weigh whether downtown should join Alamance County’s growing list of social districts. The hearing at City Hall, 201 South Main Street, came with other downtown issues on the same agenda, including the future of the downtown park and requests to close streets for the 2027 Arts Around the Square and Thursdays at Seven concert series.
The city is not deciding whether social districts are legal. North Carolina law already allows them through local ordinance, with clearly marked boundaries, specially branded cups, and rules that limit drinks to alcohol bought from participating businesses inside the district. In nearby cities, alcohol must be consumed within the district and discarded before leaving, and local plans post signage and enforcement contacts for Alcohol Law Enforcement and local police.
Mayor Chelsea Dickey said the proposal was still in its early stages and that the hearing was meant to measure community support before any decision. She said the city had studied nearby examples in Burlington, Mebane, Elon and Gibsonville, and that discussions with police and downtown coordinators had not produced major safety concerns.
The most established local example is Elon, the first in Alamance County. Elon’s district covers the downtown block bordered by West Lebanon Avenue, North Williamson Avenue, West College Avenue and North Holt Avenue, and it operates daily from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. Beer and wine are the only beverages allowed there. Burlington’s district, which opened Sept. 29, 2023, covers a seven-block area that includes Front, Main, Spring, Davis and Worth streets, and runs Fridays and Saturdays from 12 p.m. to 10 p.m. Burlington’s downtown push includes a planned $20 million investment in the Paramount Theater expansion and streetscape work.
Gibsonville took a different route. The Gibsonville Board of Aldermen approved an event-based social drinking district on April 3, 2024, by a 4-1 vote, and first used it for a Girls’ Night Out event on April 11, 2024. That model is limited to special events rather than regular weekly hours.
At Maple Street Tavern, owner Daniel Alvis said he liked the idea but wanted Graham to start small and use it for special events rather than make it a daily district. Jane Albright, who owns Things Above Christian Bookstore and Coffee Shop, said she saw no need for one because downtown already has multiple places where people can buy alcohol. If Graham moves ahead, the immediate change would be visible: marked boundaries, branded cups, and a downtown where alcohol from participating businesses could be carried through designated blocks but not beyond them.
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