A pending change to Utah law would allow cities to sign off on applications for alcohol licenses near parks, blurring what was previously a bright red line separating the sale of booze from community spaces like churches and schools.
Asked on Wednesday to describe the appetite of Salt Lake City to endorse such requests from prospective retailers, Mayor Erin Mendenhall responded with a single word: “thirsty.”
“I think the prohibition on proximity of alcohol to certain institutions is antiquated,” Mendenhall continued. “Our public spaces—our third spaces where we share being outside—are in higher demand than ever.”…