By Michael Andrews
Mountain Life Editor
Ellijay City Councilmembers gave the first reading of an amended ordinance that adds a North Main Street location to the area of downtown where businesses can be considered for a distilled spirits pouring license when meeting May 21.
At last month’s meeting, the council was asked by Magen Herrera, who is among those remodeling the former Cartecay Thrift Store building at 374 North Main Street into a restaurant, for a variance on the property so that a pouring license can be obtained.
The distance from the front door of the building to the front door of the closest church is 237 feet. The required distance is 300 feet.
At the April meeting, Mayor Al Hoyle said the variance request would be taken into consideration by the council.
“It does meet it for beer and wine. It doesn’t meet it for distilled spirits. We don’t regulate distances from churches for on-premise consumption for beer and wine. The state regulates distances of distilled spirits, and we do as well,” Hoyle said.
“Distilled spirits is a longer distance than beer and wine in most instances,” he added. “The state regulates distances of beer and wine for schools only. They’ve taken churches out of it, but, for distilled spirits, they regulate distances from churches and schools.”
Hoyle noted that state code allows for cities and municipalities to create exemptions in ordinances pertaining to distances for on-premise alcohol consumption.
A city alcohol ordinance already stated all places of business that front River Street or the Ellijay City Square, are on North Church Street (including but not beyond 29 North Church Street) or North Main Street (including, but not beyond 28 North Main Street) and are located within the central business district will be exempt from restrictions relating to distances from churches, schools and school grounds.
This was done when a previous city council designated an alcohol zone for downtown in which businesses in the specified areas could be considered for pouring licenses, Hoyle confirmed. The proposed ordinance adds 374 North Main Street to that specified zone.
Present councilmembers Thomas Griffith, Claudia Penland, Kevin Pritchett and Al Fuller heard some opposition to the proposed addition.
Tim Hall, representing Ellijay Church of Christ, which is the closest church to the building, said the church opposes a liquor license for the new restaurant.
“We want to be a good neighbor in the community, but we want to voice our opposition to that if possible. We also want our parking lots to be respected from that restaurant,” Hall said.
The amended ordinance still must undergo a second reading and vote by the council.
In other news ...
﹣ Councilmembers approved:
A temporary moratorium on cryptomining and other similar businesses. The length of the moratorium is six months.
﹣ Awarding future paving projects to Colditz Trucking, of Blairsville, for portions of Penland Street, Boardtown Road, Corbin Hill/Old Tails Creek Road and South Main Street/Old Highway 5 South. Some of the paving will be funded by a Local Maintenance Improvement Grant (LMIG) from the Georgia Department of Transportation.
﹣ A peddler’s license for North Georgia Frigid Frog, a frozen dessert business for festivals.
﹣ A special event alcohol permit for the Fight 4 America Tour, an upcoming concert event at Whitepath Creek Farms.
﹣ An off-premise beer and wine consumption license for Green’s Country Store.