HIGHLAND, Utah — The deadline has arrived for referendums that look to put a decision allowing restaurants in the city center area of Highland to sell alcohol on the November ballot.
Friday's deadline comes after the city council voted to amend the city code back in January.
"We have just a small handful of fast food outlets and soda shops and things like that," explained Ryan Warnick, who supports the change to the code.
Warnick has lived in Highland for five years.
"So our residents have to, on a daily basis, thousands of people leave the city to go to neighboring cities to dine and shop," he said.
The entertainment exodus is why Warnick and others support the change the Highland City Council made to amend the code and allow restaurants in the general city center area to sell alcohol.
One reason for the support is a proposed new shopping center that could bring in potential stores and restaurants.
"When the developer started talking to various Utah-based restaurants about coming in and doing business in Highland, it became evident very quickly that they only wanted to do business here if they could offer their full menus," Warnick claimed.
Prior to the change, Highland was listed as one of 10 dry communities in Utah, according to a 2014 survey by the Utah Beer Wholesalers Association.
Four licenses for alcohol will be now issued citywide, although no alcohol can be sold after 10 p.m. and it cannot be removed from the premises of restaurants. No manufacturing, distilling or the brewing of alcohol will be allowed.
All other state restrictions and other restrictions will be applied under the amended city code.
A group of residents have filed two referendum applications on the law change. For 45 days, Liz Rice, who is a sponsor of the referendums, says 35 volunteers went door to door collecting signatures.
"On the developmental code, it was 29%, which equaled 3,714 signatures approximately, and on the municipal code, it's about 1,472 signatures that we had to have," Rice said.
The hope is to get the alcohol issue getting on the ballot for the November election.
"People are welcome to drink. They're welcome to if that's their lifestyle and they want to do that," said Rice. "We just believe that this is established in Highland and it's not easily changed. So we just wanted all of the people in highland to be able to choose."
But for those like Warnick, the decision has already been made.
"The residents of the city have already voiced their opinion on this matter through a citywide survey," he said.
Those who support the referendum had until 5 p.m. Friday to get their signatures turned in to Utah County, but it's expected to take a week or two before the voting office can count them all.
