Arlington Hts. reaches compromise in single-serve alcohol ban

It isn't exactly a lovefest, but both sides are expressing appreciation for the compromise that has been hammered out over a proposed ordinance that limits single-serve package liquor sales in Arlington Heights.

The ordinance, rewritten after meetings between village staff and about a dozen owners of liquor stores and their representatives, relaxes the rules on hard liquor but still outlaws single sales of most beers.

The original draft ordinance would have banned beer sales in any container smaller than 40 ounces; banned wine sales in containers smaller than 12 ounces; and banned sales of any other alcoholic beverage in containers 16 ounces or smaller,

The compromise ordinance, which will be discussed by the village board at 7:30 p.m. Monday, allows liquor other than beer, malt liquor or wine to be sold in sizes of 6.4 ounces or larger.

Single cans of beer or malt liquor will be required to be larger than 24 ounces, and bottles greater than 12 ounces.

Single bottles of beer or malt liquor 40 ounces or larger will be banned. No single bottle of beer or malt liquor can be sold chilled, which is similar to Mount Prospect's ordinance.

"We reached an alleged compromise," said Jerry Rosen, executive director of the Beverage Retailers Alliance of Illinois. "It wasn't perfect, but it didn't destroy us. That's why it's a compromise - nobody walks away happy."

The "line in the sand" for retailers was keeping the ability to sell liquor in bottles of 200 and 375 milliliters, said Rosen; 200 ml is about four of the so-called airline size bottles, he said.

The 40-ounce bottle of malt liquor that is being outlawed is low-priced and contains twice the alcohol of beer, so it is considered a "cheap drunk," said Rosen.

The new draft ordinance also differentiates between cans and bottles of beer and allows for bottles used for imported beers and by micro breweries.

Bottles of beer that fit the allowed sizes can be packaged together even if they did not come from the distributor that way. Otherwise, attaching containers to get around the ordinance is not allowed.

Wine bottles must be at least 10 ounces except for champagne or sparkling wine.

The Arlington Heights Police Department, which originally proposed the ordinance, is optimistic that even this "watered down" version will help prevent public drinking, littering and other misbehaving in the central part of the village, said Capt. Richard Niedrich.

Niedrich said this is just one part of a comprehensive campaign to control these behaviors.

Village Manager Bill Dixon, commenting on the publicity the debate has generated, said interest in the ordinance seems greater among the Chicago-based media than Arlington Heights residents.

"We've had radio and television calls. We didn't anticipate that kind of media coverage," Dixon said.

Rosen said the original proposal, on the heels of higher state and county taxes as well as high fees for liquor stores, threatened profits enough that some retailers could have been put out of business.

Connie Karavidas, whose family owns two Teddy's Liquor Stores in Arlington Heights, said she does not like any ban but is glad the village and police were willing to negotiate when they realized how seriously their proposal would affect retailers.

She remains skeptical that problem drinkers might just buy a different type of alcohol or go outside Arlington Heights to buy the smaller sizes.

A petition against the original ban that was being signed by Teddy's customers will be deep-sixed now, in the wake of the compromise, Karavidas said.