The Milledgeville City Council this week began the process of lifting the moratorium on issuing licenses for the sale of distilled spirits, but the end result may be no new applications to be approved at this time.
Milledgeville City Manager Hank Griffeth reported this past Tuesday night that a new ordinance regulating the sale of distilled spirits packaged to-go in the city had its first reading at a called meeting that evening and would be on Council’s agenda for a vote June 11.
Griffeth shared a copy of the draft this past Monday, and, pursuant to the terms of the proposed ordinance, Milledgeville already has the maximum number of outlets selling liquor packaged to go that would be allowed.
The proposed new city code section sets forth the method of determining how many licenses shall be issued.
“As provided herein, no license shall be issued for retail package sales of distilled spirits unless the number of active retail distilled spirit licenses issued in (the) City of Milledgeville is less than one (1) license for every one thousand, six hundred people (1,600), or major fraction thereof, in the City of Milledgeville according to the latest United States Decennial Census,” section 6-147(c) reads.
Griffeth pointed out that the population of Milledgeville, according to the 2020 Decennial Census, was 17,070 then, and there are now 11 licensed liquor stores in the city, equating to one license per 1,552 residents. That is greater than the one-per-1,600 ratio established.
Griffeth said there is another prong to the new ordinance that will affect the issuance of licenses.
According to Section 6-147(d), “Licenses for retail package sales of distilled spirits shall not be granted to any establishment located within a radius of one thousand five hundred (1,500) yards of an existing licensed establishment for retail package sales of distilled spirits.”
Griffeth pointed out that a map with the locations of the 11 liquor establishments was prepared, with circles drawn illustrating the 1,500-yard radius as to each. A review of that map shows there are four stores in one circle, within 1,500 yards of each other, and two stores in two different circles within that distance. This does not include several that are in overlapping circles.
Of the 11 liquor outlets, it appears Gil’s Package Store on North Columbia Street is the only establishment not within 1,500 yards of another store.
Griffeth said that as a part of the work to draw up the ordinance, other cities’ regulations were examined.
“We looked at a number of ordinances in other cities, and the distance ranged between 0.5 mile and one mile,” he explained. “So, 1,500 yards came in between on the upper end. The number was determined based on discussion that one liquor store per each 10% of the population covered the need. The number currently licensed exceeded that.”
“There was no intended effort to say no more liquor stores could open now,” Griffeth added, “but this was an effort to control the density, and the current ones are meeting the population need and more than meeting the density.”
Griffeth said, in his opinion, there are only two ways for a new license to be granted.
“The city population increases or enough of the current licenses expire to create an ‘opening’,” he offered.
Griffeth said City Attorney Jimmy Jordan would be reviewing the proposal for any necessary language adjustments.
The ban on issuances of the licenses has been in effect over four months, as City Council voted Jan. 23 to put a moratorium on any license applications. The resolution adopting the temporary ban referred to the increased density of alcoholic beverage licenses, citing “the potential to create substantial problems for the surrounding neighborhoods, increasing the amount of litter, loitering, unruly behavior, traffic congestion, and diminishing the overall quality of life in those neighborhoods.”