Alcohol permits make first step
By Barry H. Hendrix Contributing Writer

The new Thomasville City Alcohol License Review Committee (ALRC) held its first meeting Sept. 7 at City Hall. Revisions to the current alcohol sales ordinance will be recommended to the city council, including a clarification that there will be no Sunday alcohol sales and the requirement of 500 square feet of display space at a convenience/package store.

In addition, an item was added that 50 percent of gross sales during any 90-day period, must come from other items than alcohol.

"We don't want to have a corner liquor store that opens up and sells nothing but beer, wine and hard liquor," said Mayor Sheldon Day. "…We never wanted that in Thomasville.

"…We want good, strict control. And we need to keep good, strict control," said Police Chief Billy Hicks. In addition, the municipal judge is expected to come down hard on businesses that sell to minors, the mayor said.

The committee members include City Clerk Debbie Ballard, Police Chief Hicks, Fire Chief Mark Sims, and Building Inspector George Hutchinson. They are joined by representatives from the public: Bro. Phil Craddock, Alex Taylor and Arengia Knight.

The ALRC committee recommended the following businesses for beer/wine off-premises:

Merri Mart No. 5 (electrical problems must be corrected, and additional outside lighting is required);

Parr's Chevron; Rite Aid No. 7134; Smoke Shoppe II; Super Stop No. 85 (one emergency light needed, and modifications of cooler needed); and Wal- Mart. The Pineview Country Club was approved for a special retail license, but exit lights will be needed at the facility before final approval.

The application from Bee Jay's was tabled. The owner must get old gas tanks and exposed electric wires into compliance, the mayor said. There is also a problem with entrance and exit of the property.

The businesses approved by the committee had received preliminary approval from the state ABC (Alcohol Beverage Control) board. The licenses were to be considered in a first reading at Monday's city council meeting. The first batch of licenses can't be approved until the Sept. 24 meeting.

Many applicants were already rejected by the ABC board, Mayor Day said. There would be several other businesses with applications in the next round, he said.

The public is invited to meetings of the ALRC committee if there is a concern about a particular business selling alcohol. "We wanted citizen input on anybody being considered," Mayor Day said.

The earliest any business would be selling alcohol in Thomasville will be the second week of October.

Also, there is an ABC office in Thomasville. Mayor Day expects ABC officials to monitor local businesses during their everyday shopping activities.

In regard to private clubs, it was unclear about Sunday sales to members. "ABC has certain requirements of private clubs," the mayor said, including specific number of members, logs kept on members and documentation of sales. The private or social clubs would not be selling to the general public.

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