Poll:
What impact would limiting alcohol sales downtown have had?
PORTLAND – Efforts to cut down on sales of highly alcoholic drinks in certain downtown Portland neighborhoods have come to an end.
Last week city commissioners learned all the months of work on the issue were wasted.
When Commissioner Amanda Fritz began plans to curb alcohol sales, it was perfectly legal. But that changed Thursday, when Oregon Attorney General John Kroger reversed a decision made nearly 20 years ago.
Fritz said Washington state found that creating an alcohol impact area, where the level of alcohol and volume is controlled, has helped cut down on public intoxication.
But after 1,200 hours of work on the Portland streets by police and staff over the last two years, it all came to a halt Thursday.
In Fritz’s opinion, lobbyists convinced Kroger to take away the Oregon Liquor Control Commission’s power to create an alcohol impact area.
She said it’s back to square one in her fight to curb public drunkenness. But now she's considering taking the fight to the Oregon Legislature.
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KGW Reporter Ed Teachout contributed to this report.
