Councilman sees risks, doubt rewards of social district

SMITHFIELD — Councilman Travis Scott thinks proponents oversell the benefits of a social district and ignore the risks of open-carry alcohol.

“I have been consistently opposed to the establishment of a social district in Smithfield due to the lack of comprehensive facts and data supporting its implementation,” Scott said in an email.

He thinks a social district imposes substantial legal liability on the town. “The risks associated with a social district are not negligible, and I fear that the potential legal ramifications could be severe,” Scott said.

Proponents are putting too much faith in a social district, the councilman added. “If local businesses must rely on external sales of alcohol to sustain themselves, it seems indicative of a broader issue that needs addressing,” he said. “Rather than creating a social district, we should be exploring why these businesses are struggling in the first place.”

Scott wondered too who drove the push for a Smithfield social district. “I am still unclear about who the original petitioner for this initiative was,” he said.

Scott doubts it was the Downtown Smithfield Development Corp., which has seen multiple leadership changes in the past year. “The DSDC has seen its third director since Sarah’s dismissal,” he said, referring to Sarah Edwards, who was fired last December.

“It was my understanding that their board was not in full support of this proposal either,” Scott added.

By a 4-3 vote last week, the Smithfield Tow Council agreed to provide security, liability insurance and sanitation services for the social district.

Scott was among those who voted no. “We should not be in the business of managing a social district,” he said in advance of the vote.

Fearing Smithfield was setting a precedent with a downtown district, Scott wondered how the council would respond if the outlet center or the flea market south of town sought one.

“The potential liabilities associated with this new ordinance are considerable,” he said. “Failing to properly oversee the social district could expose the town to significant risks, much like the recent case in our state where $40 million in damages were awarded in an alcohol-related incident.”

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