High Springs Sunday Alcohol Sales Divides Community

HIGH SPRINGS – An issue that has been brought up numerous times during High Springs City Commission meetings may finally see a resolution. During the May 9, 2024 City Commission meeting, the Commission voted to modify a long-standing ordinance with a new ordinance that will allow alcohol sales by Special Permit on some Sundays by a business that doesn’t derive more than 51 percent of their revenue from the sale of food and non-alcoholic beverages.

Currently, the City’s ordinance does not allow a business to operate on Sunday to sell alcohol unless the business also sells food.

The High Springs Brewing Company, located at 18562 N.W. 237^th Street in High Springs, sells beer and wine, but no food. However, they have an assortment of food trucks that park on their property to serve their patrons. In addition, Prohibition Pizza, which opened their doors within the past year, is located directly across the street from the Brewing Company. Prohibition Pizza can only seat a small number of patrons on their property and relies on the Brewing Company to provide a place where their patrons can grab their pizza and have a place to sit, possibly have a beer and share with others.

On the other hand, some citizens argue that Sunday should be a day of rest and quiet in the community and that allowing the Brewing Company to be open on Sunday will lead to loud amplified music, increased traffic and increased noise. However, there has not been a history of noise complaints, rowdy or drunken behavior lodged with the High Springs Police Department in the past.

In an effort to reconcile these two factions, the City has drafted an ordinance revising the existing alcohol ordinance, providing for a Special Permit Application Process for businesses that derive less than 51 percent of their revenue from the sale of food and non-alcoholic beverages. The ordinance is designed to permit businesses like the High Springs Brewing Company to operate outside the hours established by the original ordinance.

During the City Commission meeting Mayor Katherine Weitz read several letters into the record from citizens for and against approval of the amended ordinance. Some clearly thought there shouldn’t need to be a need for a Special Permit at all, and there should be no barrier to the Brewing Company serving on Sundays.

When the item was opened to the floor for citizen comments, some 15 people addressed the Commission on behalf of the Brewing Company being open on Sundays. Four audience members spoke against approval.

One of the people addressing the Commission was former City Commissioner Sue Weller who brought up technical questions she thought needed to be addressed by the Commission prior to approval of the ordinance. Her suggestions were added to the ordinance.

The ordinance originally specified that the “Special Permit must be applied for in connection with a special event such as a City sponsored event or a Federal holiday and is subject to administrative approval; if the Special Permit is not applied for in connection with a special event it shall be subject to City Commission approval, and the Special Permit shall not be issued for a time period exceeding 48 hours.”

As a point of clarification, the term “city sponsored event” was changed to “City-wide event” with Pioneer Days referred to as an example. “Federal Holiday” refers to the Sunday prior to any Monday-observed Federal holiday. Also mentioned was that the applicant could apply for several Special-Event dates at one time.

Requests are subject to administrative approval without the necessity for Commission approval. However, if the Special Permit is not applied for in connection with a special event (city-wide sponsored event, Federal holiday) it shall be subject to City Commission approval, and the Special Permit shall not be issued for a time period exceeding 48 hours.

Following approval in a 4-1 roll call vote with Commissioner Wayne Bloodsworth casting the dissenting vote, the ordinance passed on first reading and the city attorney was tasked with modifying the ordinance prior to second reading at a future Commission meeting.

Vice Mayor Tristan Grunder made a motion to amend the agenda to include a discussion to put the item to a vote at the general election in November, but the motion died for lack of a second.

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