GAINESVILLE – The vote by city council Tuesday evening to add a referendum question to the ballot was not unanimous but on November 6th residents of Gainesville will be asked:
“Shall the governing authority of the City of Gainesville, Georgia, be authorized to permit and regulate Sunday sales of distilled spirits or alcoholic beverages for beverage purposes by the drink from 11:00 A.M. to 12:30 P.M.?”
Ballots will contain a “Yes” or “No” response.
“This is to turn it over to the people so the people can decide what to do,” Councilman Zach Thompson said.
Thompson was referring to the city’s decision to follow the guidelines of Georgia Senate Bill 17, commonly known as the Brunch Bill, signed into law by Governor Nathan Deal on May 8th.
Other municipalities in Hall County have - or are - considering adding the question to their General Election ballots. “Each municipality does have to hold a separate referendum,” Gainesville City Manager Bryan Lackey explained, “so the approval of this tonight will allow us to move forward.”
Councilman George Wangemann was the lone dissenting vote.
ANNEXATION REQUEST WITHDRAWN BUT “WITHOUT PREJUDICE”
Limestone Greenway, LLC’s, desire to develop a large tract of land at the intersection of Limestone and Jesse Jewell Parkways will step back from the rezoning and annexation process and wait for another time.
The matter first appeared before the Gainesville Planning and Appeals Board in April as a 75.12-acre commercial and residential apartment concept, was tabled for a month in May, and then was downscaled to 33.87-acres of commercial-only development in June.
Tuesday night’s withdrawal of the request required the city council to attach a status of “With Prejudice” or “Without Prejudice” to the application.
“’With Prejudice’ they could not come back for six months,” City Attorney Abb Hayes explained after the meeting. “But since the council accepted their withdrawal ‘Without Prejudice’ they can come back at any time with their application.”
No immediate reason was given by the city for the applicant’s withdrawal.
