The Village of Northport is the first municipality in the tri-county area of Leelanau, Benzie, and Grand Traverse to establish a social district after village council trustees unanimously approved a resolution at its regular board meeting last Thursday.
“I would just like to thank the council for supporting the businesses…” said Oleans owner and Northport-Omena Chamber of Commerce President Daniel Caudill. “... And having to cover payroll during winter months, being able to extend our seasons and make Northport businesses more prosperous is a big deal.”
Lynden Johncock, a co-owner of the Northport Inn located in the heart of downtown, echoed Caudill’s support and said he was in favor of the social district and how it can help bring more families to the village even in the quiet seasons.
“We’ve got a slew of ideas that we can do with it if we can utilize that parking lot and extend our courtyard… So I’m most definitely in favor of it, but I understand the concerns in policing it and the cleanliness of it,” Johncock said during public comment. “I also own Williams & Bay Pumping, and we have portable restrooms and restroom trailers, so I absolutely have a vested interest in Northport staying clean and inviting. If I can support it in any way, I’m more than happy to.”
Council trustees first introduced the idea in the spring of 2023, but finally came to a decision this year after another thorough meeting discussion on the potential pros and cons of creating one in the small town.
The social district will operate yearround and would help to assist downtown businesses in adapting to the worker shortage by providing additional services without having to increase staff. It would also attract customers for enhanced outdoor dining downtown and entertainment experiences while encouraging visitors to explore and extend their time in town.
“I think that’s part of our job here is to listen to the businesses and find what we can do to help support them, and if they come to us with something, it’s our duty to look into it…” said Village Council President Chris McCann at Thursday’s meeting. “The resolution is one part of the application process… the state still has to okay the maintenance plan and everything like that.”
The Northport social district allows for common areas where two or more contiguous licensed establishments can sell alcoholic beverages in special cups to be taken into the common areas for consumption. Its boundaries are generally Main Street, Waukazoo Street, Third Street, and Bay Street. The common areas will include the parks, sidewalks, crosswalks, and village owned parking lots in the downtown area.
Local businesses that can participate in the social district include Northport Pub & Grille, Fingers Crossed, The Mitten Brewing Co., Yard & Lake, and The Union. According to Northport’s social district maintenance and operations plan, the chamber of commerce will assist the village with marketing the district by creating posters outlining the rules and operations for distribution throughout downtown, as well as creating a web page with information about the district.
The chamber will also assist by purchasing the first order of beverage cups for participating permit holders. After the first order, each business will be responsible for purchasing their own that fits the rules designated by the Michigan Liquor Control Commission and the village. Hours of operation will be Monday through Sunday from noon to 10 p.m. Security and enforcement of the social district is provided by the Leelanau County Sheriff’s Department.
Signage will be placed to mark legal boundaries of where the district’s entry points and intersections are. Additionally, the village discussed having signs prohibiting alcohol by non-participating establishments that fall within the social district boundaries, too. Both the chamber and participating businesses are responsible for paying for the signage.
In terms of trash removal, trash bins are currently emptied on Mondays and Thursdays, but the village plans to add a Saturday morning pick-up in addition to these hours. Local businesses within the social district and participating permit holders will monitor trash and recycling bins and alert the village manager if they need to be emptied at additional times. The Village Department of Public Works provides sanitation services within the district including trash removal and litter pickup, however, participating permit holders are required to have a trash receptacle outside of entrances for the disposal of social district cups as necessary and to empty those receptacles when needed.
While several council trustees voiced concerns over possible issues that could arise, such as increased traffic in the village, McCann said most businesses in town need the customers to stay afloat.
“We cannot think of Northport as this town that we’re going to turn traffic away from because we don’t want them here. Every business, not just the business that is applying for this, but the businesses that serve food, the businesses that sell clothes… we need every person that we can get to come through here,” McCann said. “So by promoting our community in ways that attract people…” The village can revoke the designation if it determines that the social district “threatens the health, safety, or welfare of the public or has become a nuisance.” Before the designation is revoked, the village would have to hold at least one public hearing on the proposed revocation.
