Port Royal council previews small social-district pilot for beer and wine

PORT ROYAL ' Council members discussed moving forward with a pilot social district limited to beer and wine and constrained to a small, closely monitored area of town.

Speakers said the pilot would not be a River Street-style free-for-all and stressed police coverage would be increased in the pilot zone. The current plan under discussion would run the pilot Wednesday through Saturday with evaluation criteria that include whether foot traffic and retail sales increase beyond bars and restaurants, whether incidents or litter rise, and whether neighborhoods experience unacceptable noise.

Merchant reaction is mixed, councilors said. One unidentified member said some merchants worry about extending hours to support later service days, and another said merchants historically resist later hours except for special events.

Councilors said the pilot will be time-limited and include a formal review to determine whether to continue or make the district permanent.