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A discarded alcoholic beverage can lays along East Station Street near South Schuyler Avenue in downtown Kankakee.

An empty 50-milliliter bottle of gin lays in the grass along East Station Street near South Schuyler Avenue along with other trash, including 24-ounce alcohol cans.

A discarded hard seltzer can lays along South Schuyler Avenue near East Station Street.

An empty liquor pint and a plastic bag with a six-pack ring gathers in the storm drain along East Station Street near South Schuyler Avenue along with other trash.

An empty 50-milliliter liquor bottle lays on the storm drain along with other trash at the corner of East Station Street and South Schuyler Avenue in downtown Kankakee.

An empty 50-millileter liquor bottle lays in the landscaping along East Station Street near South Schuyler Avenue in downtown Kankakee.

A discarded alcoholic beverage can lays along East Station Street near South Schuyler Avenue in downtown Kankakee.

An empty 50-milliliter bottle of gin lays in the grass along East Station Street near South Schuyler Avenue along with other trash, including 24-ounce alcohol cans.

A discarded hard seltzer can lays along South Schuyler Avenue near East Station Street.

An empty liquor pint and a plastic bag with a six-pack ring gathers in the storm drain along East Station Street near South Schuyler Avenue along with other trash.

An empty 50-milliliter liquor bottle lays on the storm drain along with other trash at the corner of East Station Street and South Schuyler Avenue in downtown Kankakee.

An empty 50-millileter liquor bottle lays in the landscaping along East Station Street near South Schuyler Avenue in downtown Kankakee.

KANKAKEE — In an effort to curb growing issues with public consumption of alcohol and related issues in downtown Kankakee, an ordinance went into effect this week.

Approved by the Kankakee City Council on June 6, the law restricts the sale of single-serve containers of beer, liquor or wine at a pair of downtown area liquor stores.

The thought behind this initiative is if the sale of a single-serve containers is banned, the improper and/or illegal behaviors of those who purchase the beverages will be lessened.

Within the past approximate year, the downtown area has had more than 900 calls for service. Many of the calls generated from issues stemming from consumption of alcohol.

Second Ward Alderman David Baron, whose district includes the bulk of the downtown area, said this has been a growing problem and issues such as public drunkenness and other associated issues have caused increased concerns.

The law is not citywide. It deals largely with the downtown area, which is comprised of the special Kankakee Development Corporation district.

Within the district, there are two liquor stores — Key City Liquors, 321 S. Schuyler Ave., and Liquor Lot, 370 S. Schuyler Ave. The law does not pertain to bars.

“In the downtown area we are witnessing higher levels of public drunkenness, public urination, littering,” said 2nd Ward Alderman David Baron. Baron said this has been a long-running issue and the time has come to take an additional step to bring it under control.

Baron said liquor store operators questioned why this ordinance was not being implemented across all of Kankakee and he said the answer to that question is simple: the problem is mainly happening in the downtown area.

Baron said if the problem becomes prevalent in other areas, the law can be modified to include those areas as well.

Pete Zachhani, owner of Liquor Lot, said he understands what the city is trying to accomplish, but doesn’t believe this will have the desired result.

He said the restriction should have been citywide, rather than isolating two stores.

“I don’t believe this will solve the issue. I believe the problem will still exist. I respect the city’s decision,” he said. “... I understand trying to keep the city clean.”

Zachhani said he would prefer this law being applied equally across the entire city.

Asked how much of Liquor Lots’ total sales are made through single-serve containers, Zachhani estimated 30 to 40 percent.

“This will have a huge impact on my business.” He said the future of the store will be up in the air.

“We try to do whatever we can to keep our area clean, but we can’t stand outside all day,” he said.

• A single can or bottle of beer or malt liquor in single-serve containers cannot be sold refrigerated or cooled in any matter.

• A single container of wine, other than sparkling water and/or champagne, smaller than 10 fluid ounces cannot be sold.

• A single container of alcoholic liquid other than beer, malt liquor or wine, in containers less than 6.4 ounces [typically airplane-type bottles of alcohol] cannot be sold.

Fines for store employees or store operators will start at $250. Repeated offenses could result in more severe penalties. Those caught drinking also will be fined, beginning at $100 for the first offense.

The rectangular area were this restriction has been put into place rests between East Avenue, Harrison Avenue, Hickory Street and Locust Street.

Mayor Chris Curtis noted within the past year, this downtown area had some 900 calls for police service. Many of those calls came from what Curtis described as “nuisance” calls, meaning drunkenness, loitering, public urination, littering.

“We are finding people buy this single-serve beverage and they just hang out drinking. This is the main business district,” Curtis said. “We just can’t have this.”

Curtis said the council’s License & Franchise Committee wanted to put this law into place last year, but backed off at the request of the liquor stores. The problem, however, did not improve, the mayor said.

“Our police department has bigger problems to deal with than this, but this issues takes so much of their time,” he said.

Fellow 2nd Ward Alderman Mike O’Brien said he repeatedly sees empty bottles discarded throughout the downtown. Like Baron, he said this behavior has been taking place for years and the time has come to take more drastic steps.

“This is one way to address the problem,” he said.

The ordinance does not have restrictions of the sale of larger containers of beer such as a six pack or a case. The belief is those packages are more likely to be taken home and the beverages consumed there.

“We thought this would be a starting point. We are trying something. This is certainly not a new problem. You see these [discarded] containers everywhere,” O’Brien said.

Both council members noted there was discussion of making this restriction citywide, but that was pulled back when other council members said the problem was not as prevalent in their wards.

Lee Provost, an award-winning reporter, has been writing local news stories for The Daily Journal since 1988. He is a lifelong resident of the region. Provost can be reached at lprovost@daily-journal.com.

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