The town council met this week and formalized the final version of the liquor ordinance and damned if I am left in shock and awe.
The first item is the residency requirement.
The Town Council will likely loosen residency rules for those looking to operate a liquor store..Out the door. I can understand the feeling that this would be the best for the towns residence, but it had no real purpose in an ordinance and I'm so glad to see it gone.
..........
The state only requires anyone who desires to open a store has lived in Tennessee for two years
The next item uses a phrase that simple dazzled me.
...as well as eliminate a cap on the number of stores in town.Yes! The limit on numbers was one of the more bothersome things put forth and to see it die simply is glorious. The people and market place should decide. Yes!
...
Officials initially discussed allowing one store per 10,000 residents, but decided that it would be best to allow the market to determine how many stores should be open.
They still have a setback of 500 feet. I thought I had heard that 1000 feet was being bantered around, but 500 is better then that.
In the end the new package liquor ordinances as reported in this news article is not as regulatory as I worried it would be. By removing a few of the more goofy parts I'm pretty happy on how the town performed.
3 comments:
I can't help but think though, how many people will be interested in investing the money into opening a new liquor store only to know that a bill will be introduced to the state legislature every year to allow grocery-store wine sales? It will be introduced every year until it passes, just like the liquor store ordinance in Smyrna.
I personally don't care if Kroger sells wine (I don't buy that it will increase the amount of drunks. Do we have fewer drunks than GA and AL who allow grocery sales), but I don't tihnk I would invest money into a new store in the present.
I think the market will sort it out.
Personally, I think there's hardly a business worth starting right now, but a liquor store is generally profitable no matter whether wine is sold in the grocery store or not. I would love to pick up a bottle of cabernet sauvignon when I go to Publix... but the laws here are completely wonky.
Guess we'll see what happens.
oh, I have no doubt the market will sort things out in the end. But you have to look at it and realize that if this legislation passes, liquor stores will see an immediate impact on their sales. If I am looking to take a risk such as starting a business, I am going to take a smart risk. I just don't think that it is a smart risk right now. Of course we shall see :)
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