Canton approves proposal for open containers in downtown

CHEROKEE COUNTY, Ga. — The Canton City Council approved the creation of a restaurant district that will allow open containers in downtown areas with a 4-2 vote.

Channel 2 Action News was there when the council voted on that matter on Thursday night.

The move would allow open containers on Friday and Saturday evenings for one year.

The vote didn’t come easy. For nearly three hours, people spoke both for and against the proposal.

"It’s going to be hard to police. It’s going to be very hard to check this," one resident said.

Before the vote was made, a group protested through prayer in front of City Hall.

"It’s going to bring a different element to the town when you got drinking, walking around on the streets. It will entice young people to get involved," said Bill Abernathy.

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Not everyone feels that way. Corey Shupert, the owner of Downtown Kitchen, believes allowing open containers through the streets of downtown will only mean good things for Canton.

"I’d like for y'all to give us a chance to prove that we can do this right in a responsible way," he said. "We’re all adults here. We can all make decisions. It would be a great benefit to our city, the growth of our city, the family activities of our city. It’d make our downtown a destination place."

Any drinks must be purchased at a downtown business. To leave with a drink, it has to be in a specific plastic cup.

Anyone in violation can be fined $1,000.

Cox Media Group