GULF SHORES, Ala. – The City Council rejected a liquor license for the state to have sales on the Gulf State Park Pier on Monday.

After about 30 minutes of discussion the five council members and mayor deadlocked at 3-3 on a resolution to reject the license which amounted to a rejection of the license.

If the state wants to just sell beer and wine, Mayor Robert Craft said it doesn’t need the city’s OK.

“If they went back and went to just a beer license we would only be consulted, we wouldn’t have to give approval,” Craft said. “If they just wanted to serve beer we wouldn’t have any voice yes or no.”

Park Superintendent Lisa Laraway told the council before the vote how she hoped to expand the limited menu at the pier and add beer, wine and frozen drinks to patrons. Frozen drinks would include “hard liquor.”

“Gulf Shores tourism is growing and we want to grow with it,” Laraway said before the vote. “The park definitely wants to be a part of it. And we want to have the opportunity to offer the same amenities as other establishments on the coast.”

Three members of the audience and two council members voiced concerns that allowing sales on the pier might interfere with the family atmosphere on the pier now.

Ike Williams of Ike’s Beach Service, whose company runs the concession at the State Park Saltwater Pavilion, was for the move and Police Chief Edward Delmore said his department didn’t have objections.

The main opposition came from councilmen Joe Garris and Phillip Harris. They along with Councilwoman Carolyn Doughty voted to reject the license. Voting against the rejection were Mayor Robert Craft and Councilmen Steve Jones and Jason Dyken.

“I have a little bit of concern about somebody drinking and walking out there fishing,” Garris said. “I still think there’s somewhat of a safety issue. I think the pier is just an extension of the beach, the public beach. We don’t allow it on the public beach unless it’s a special circumstance like a music festival or something. I just can’t be for it right now.”

Harris echoed Garris’ concerns.

“I would think that the folks coming out there are coming out there to fish,” Harris said. “They’re not going to come out there just to drink and enjoy the food and beverage experience, which leads me to think a lot of the people out there drinking are going to end up fishing.

“I am concerned about interjecting alcohol into that environment out there and I just don’t know if there’s enough benefit to outweigh the risk out there.”

George Carlton of Orange Beach spoke against the proposal. Also speaking against it were J.P. Wilson, a Gulf Shores resident and pastor of Liberty Church in Foley, and resident Dan Smith. Wilson said congregation members who use the pier oppose the sale of alcohol on the pier.

“They’re doing it great now, why change it?” Smith told the council.

Beach service company owner Williams said he and his workers are asked about alcohol sales regularly at the State Park pavilion.

“Having the snack bar at the pavilion and having the virgin frozen daiquiris I can’t tell you how many days we were asked for alcoholic beverages,” Williams said. “If you’re fishing and you can go have a beer and a burger, I think it’s a good thing.”

Laraway told councilmembers the drinks would be confined to the covered area on the pier and not allowed in the fishing areas. She said drinking is not allowed on the pier now and park officers would continue to keep alcohol out.

“We do have eight enforcement officers at the park including myself that patrol the park from 7 a.m. to 11 p.m. every single day of the week,” Laraway said. “No alcoholic beverages would be allowed to go past the gate on either side. We’re remaining alcohol-free on the pier and also on our beach.”

 Police Chief Edward Delmore said the area was a “concurrent jurisdiction” with state officers and he had no objections to the sale of alcohol there.

“We don’t have any significant opposition to it,” Delmore said. “I think if it’s controlled appropriately as has been mentioned it’s not something we think is going to create a lot of issues for us. The main point being that the alcohol not be allowed on the pier and that those who come out there obviously under the influence of alcohol not be allowed on the pier either.”