County approves liquor ordinance – The Newnan Times-Herald

Coweta County Commissioners approved an ordinance to regulate liquor stores in the county – if residents vote in November to allow them.

Under the ordinance, no more than three liquor stores would be allowed in the unincorporated areas of the county. No business, entity or family can hold more than one package liquor license in the county.

The ordinance is nearly identical to one approved by the city of Newnan when it comes to size and inventory requirements.

Liquor can only be sold in free-standing stores, not stores that are part of strip shopping centers. Hours of operation allowed under the ordinance are 7 a.m. to 2 a.m. on weekdays and 7 a.m. to midnight on Saturday.

Showrooms must be at least 5,000 square feet, and at least 5,500 square feet if the store sells beer and wine. Cooler space doesn’t count toward the showroom space, but instead counts toward the required 500 feet of storage area.

Stores must keep at least $750,000 worth of liquor inventory, and $35,000 worth of beer and wine inventory.

Stores must be at least 300 feet from churches, single-family homes, housing authority units and alcohol treatment facilities, and at least 600 feet from schools.

Under the ordinance, a “church” is only property owned by a church; if a church congregation is renting its space, that doesn’t count. “School” doesn’t include specialized schools such as music schools or barber colleges.

The distances are measured from the front door of the liquor store to the front door of churches, other liquor stores or government-owned alcoholic treatment centers, and from the door of the liquor store to the property line of schools, single-family dwellings or housing authority units.

Liquor stores must be at least 10,000 feet from each other, under the ordinance.

Anyone who receives a license for a package liquor store must open the store within 12 months of receiving the license. A six-month extension may be granted by the business license director if the applicant shows cause.

Any other extension must be approved by the commissioners. If any liquor store licensee fails to remit excise taxes for three consecutive months, the license is subject to automatic revocation.

The ordinance was approved with no discussion.

Residents will decide on liquor stores Nov. 2. The vote is the result of a new state law that allows local governing bodies to call for a referendum on package liquor sales.

Before the change, package liquor could only be brought to a town by a petition to put the issue on the ballot. In addition to Coweta and the city of Newnan, voters in Sharpsburg and Senoia will vote on liquor stores in November.