Hampton alcohol ordinance approved

A reworked version of a new alcoholic beverage ordinance was approved May 10 by the Hampton City Council. It will allow users of four specific city-owned facilities the opportunity to petition the council for a special alcohol-use permit for a certain event, and these will be reviewed by the council on a case-by-case basis.

The facilities approved for this use are the Depot, the old city shop on Tom Eason Drive, the former site of the Forston Library, and an area along Cherry Street. An earlier version of the ordinance came up in February, calling for alcohol to be allowed on public streets and sidewalks during certain city events. That measure failed, prompting the council to reach this compromise.