CLARKESVILLE — The Clarkesville City Council has approved an amendment to the city's alcoholic beverage ordinance concerning where alcohol can be sold.
The unanimous vote came after a second reading with no public comments Monday night.
"No person may sell or offer to sell: 1. Any distilled spirits within 100 yards of any church building or within 200 yards of any school building, educational building, school grounds, or college campus. 2. Any wine or malt beverages within 175 feet of any church building or within 100 yards of any school building. 3. Any distilled spirits, wine or malt beverages within 100 yards of an alcoholic treatment facility," the revised ordinance amendment states.
The amendment, as originally proposed, met with resistance from the pastor and members of Clarkesville Baptist Church at the council's March meeting
City Manager Barbara Kesler suggested at the city council work session in February that the city might want to modify its alcohol regulations to be in accord with the state law regarding alcohol sales.
At that time, the city ordinance restricted the sale of any alcoholic beverage in or within 100 yards of any church building or alcohol treatment facility or in or within 200 yards of any school building, educational grounds or college campus, or daycare facility.
Under the initial proposed change, no sales of any distilled spirits would have been allowed in or within 100 yards of any church building or within 200 yards of any school building, educational building, school grounds, or college campus; any wine or malt beverages within 100 yards of any school building; any distilled spirits, wine or malt beverages within 100 yards of an alcoholic treatment center owned and operated by Georgia or any county or municipal government located therein.
Distilled spirits are defined as liquor, while malt beverages are defined as beer.
After the resistance at the March council meeting, city leaders re-drafted the amendment ultimately approved Monday night after two public readings with no public comments.
