City Council's Statement on Go Cups: No Ban Planned

Usually the only joint statements issued about go cups in New Orleans come from bartenders on Bourbon at 4 a.m. in the collective form of here is your drink, now leave or get the hose. The other type of go cup/joint statement is often reserved for when approaching the sidewalk with one's face. But today, as Doug MacCash points out, the New Orleans City Council has issued an ever-proper "joint statement" on the "go-cup controversy" in hopes that everyone can simmer down now. In all likelihood, they're just adding fuel to the already toxic, styrofoam go cup pyre that has been the hot topic of the past week. You can read the statement in its entirety for yourself after the jump.

We write to clarify a misconception that there is a collective or concerted effort to ban to-go cups. For over ten years, the City Planning Commission and City Council have adopted provisos regulating to-go cups on a case by case basis when the requesting businesses are located in or adjacent to residential districts. These provisos protect nearby residents fromunnecessary trash in front of their homes by patrons of restaurants and bars. But again, there is no blanket prohibition of to-go cups. For example, the recently created St. Claude Arts and Cultural Overlay District (from Press St. to Poland St.) regulations allow newly permitted businesses to have to-go cups as long as the name of the business is printed on the cup. In other cases, it has been determined that a to-go cup prohibition is better suited for the surrounding neighborhood. It is not unusual or irrational to place a provision on a new alcoholic beverage business that is seeking a conditional use so that it may sell alcohol next to or in residential neighborhoods.

· New Orleans City Council Issues Joint Statement on Go-Cup Controversy [NOLA.com]
· All Go Cup Hysteria! [-ENOLA-]