Alcohol Remains Banned at Brentwood Park
Aldermen were divided on a vote on Wednesday afternoon.
A ban on alcohol at Brentwood Park remains in place after the Brentwood Public Works Committee rejected a measure that would have allowed its presence during adult softball games.
At a meeting on Wednesday, Aldermen Andy Leahy (Ward 3) and Lee Wynn (Ward 2) voted to keep the ban in place, while Keith Robertson (Ward 3) voted to remove the ban. The fourth committee member, Ward 2 Alderman Mike Marshall, was absent.
"There are plenty of places to drink. I don't see why you need to mix alcohol and baseball," Wynn said. "It's nice and family-oriented. Let's keep it that way."
Robertson countered that the city should trust adults to behave appropriately.
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The vote ends a debate that started two months ago.
At a December meeting, Jim Patterson, a Brentwood resident who lives on Hilldale Avenue, asked the committee to permit alcohol at the park. He said the games function more as social gatherings than sports competitions.
That prompted the Brentwood Parks and Recreation Department to distribute a four-question survey to gather thoughts on the issue. The city received 168 responses, notes a staff memo from Feb. 8.
The surveys were non-scientific—as individuals were able to vote multiple times—but provided respondents the opportunity to share their opinions on the issue, the memo notes.
The first question asked if the city should allow alcohol at Brentwood Park for city-sponsored events (including adult softball leagues), and 109 respondents voted yes, 57 voted no and two were unsure.
Most voters who commented opposed lifting the ban, however. Nearby residents shared safety and noise concerns, and suggested the leagues would promote underage drinking.
Others noted that the city allows alcohol during other events, like the summer concert series.
In This article
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Brentwood Park
9100 Russell Ave, Brentwood, MO -
Brentwood Parks and Recreation Department
2505 S Brentwood Blvd, Brentwood, MO
Pat Maloney (Wilken)
1:25 pm on Friday, February 10, 2012
You should allow alcohol at the park, during ball league games. The place I used to work for, had a league there. The year I was laid off (2007) was their first year. I went to a lot of the games, for several years, when they were at Tilles Park. However there were no lights there, and they finally switched to Brentwood Park. Don't know if they are still there, but at Tilles Park, they took a cooler, which the company supplied full of beer, for the team. They would leave soon after the games, as another two teams had to play. I never ever saw any of the people playing or watching that drank more than a couple of beers at the park. And actually, I don't think they drank during the games at all.....Just maybe before, and definatly afterwards.
Mikey_Spikes1
6:34 pm on Friday, February 10, 2012
As a home owner who has resided ~200 ft from Brentwood Park for the past 20 years, I have witnessed far too many inappropriate behaviors from the public....most of which were likely fueled by alcohol consumed in the parking area adjacent to Brentwood Park.
Allow me to list... People urinating in the parking area along Russell. People drinking and partying in the same area until 1AM or later. People throwing rocks at the street lights. People breaking bottles in the parking area or tossing them onto the grass where they are later shredded by lawn mowers. People engaging in sex in their cars. Oh, and by the way, 98% of these folks get tanked up on beer and DRIVE in their vehicles away from the park.
Personally, I played on adult softball teams in Brentwood Park for 12 years, so I can see the participants perspective. However, my teams were sponsored by local bars. Following the games, we would proceed to the bar! I have accepted the status quo where folks are allowed to drink and celebrate in the parking area along Russell. Let's not fuel the fire further for the sake of streaming a little revenue from beer sales.
Patronizing local Brentwood bars such as OB Clarks, The Sideline, and Double D's is a far better tack in my opinion.