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A decision on a permanent entertainment district for Pine Mountain Village will have to wait a little longer.
The Eureka Springs City Council voted at its June 24 meeting to again table the topic to give time to research an ordinance already in place regarding temporary entertainment districts.
Marshall Johnson, owner of the property and applicant for the ordinance, said approximately five acres of the 40-acre property would be used for the district, if approved. A number of temporary entertainment districts are approved annually for the area, which includes a stage adjacent to Eureka Springs Harley- Davidson.
Johnson provided council members a highlighted map showing the area of the property that would be the boundaries of the proposed entertainment district.
“The outline would be the theater, the parking lot, basically and then the little stage area that we have added this last season,” Johnson told council members. “Directly behind we would have a fence.
“We’re trying to enhance the property with some events, some that are already there like the car shows, and create kind of a destination. … Create some more energy.”
Johnson and Eureka Springs Police Chief Billy Floyd both told council members that previous temporary districts have gone safely with little to no issues.
“We’ve had multiple temporary entertainment district permits and have had zero issues,” Johnson said. “There will be signage about no alcoholic beverages past the district. We’ve done it and there’s been zero issues so far. We would manage it. We would police it, with it being a private property.”
Council member Terry Mc-Clung questioned the parking lot of the shopping center being part of the proposed district.
“What would stop people from getting in their car and leaving with a drink in their hand,” McClung asked.
Johnson replied: “Obviously, it’s illegal to get in your car and leave with alcohol, at any time. We can’t manage to police every single person, but we obviously did police pretty good for the multiple events we’ve had.”
The proposed ordinance would allow the entertainment district from 10 a.m. to 11 p.m. seven days a week. Two temporary districts were recently approved for Ozark Rally and Bikes Blues and BBQ this year and another temporary district for the property for a Mustang car show, to be held July 6 and 7, was approved at the June 24 meeting.
A permanent entertainment district in areas downtown was voted down by residents in the November 2020 election after it was originally approved by the council earlier that year.
Council member David Avanzino asked if the vote in 2020 would supersede the permanent Pine Mountain Village request.
“This is not the same as the original, permanent entertainment district that we were looking at in Eureka four or five years ago that encompassed the downtown area,” mayor Butch Berry said at the June 10 council meeting. “This is strictly for Pine Mountain Village and only Pine Mountain Village.”
Johnson said the permanent district was intended for events only.
“I mean, this isn’t going to be an everyday thing,” he said.
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