JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Some people living in a Northside community near Soutel Drive say it’s the last thing they want — a fifth liquor store.
It was approved Thursday. Some say adding the store will only hurt the community by attracting crime and violence. But a waiver that was needed for the store to open got the 5-3 majority votes that it needed after a second planning commission meeting. It required the waiver to open in a spot that’s less than 500 feet from a church.
During the meeting, there was more opposition from the community.
“I am angry at the fact that the commissioners were unable to see our perspective in regard to why they should not put a package liquor store next to a liquor lounge where there have been seven shootings and four people have lost their lives,” said Tyrona Clark-Murray with the Northwest Citizens Planning Advisory Committee.
Even among the commissioners, there was debate. Some spoke against it at the second meeting, including Commissioner Ian Brown.
“If they do need it (a business waiver) and the church did speak out and nobody was for it, I’m just going to stick with where I was, so, I wont be supporting it,” Brown said.
Commissioner Jordan Elsbury supported it.
“If we are going to base our decisions off what is allowed to go somewhere by right and look at variance based off of a church leader or people from the community coming out and opposing it, that’s not our job. Our job is to listen to them, hear their discrepancies and make a decision. If a leader from a church shows up or doesn’t show up and that’s how we are picking or choosing what business are by right available to open — I don’t think that’s what anyone of us signed up for. I’ll be supporting it,” Elsbury said.
Brown fired back saying that Elsbury was not interpreting the instructions correctly.
“If what Commissioner Elsbury said was true, we would need to sit here. So obviously it can’t just open by right, they need us to vote on it, so it’s not really true by right, yes, but they need this, so they can’t just go do it, what you said was inherently false,” Brown said.
Clark-Murray shared video of a crowd of people in the neighborhood on Easter Sunday. She said it’s typical to see, and it would be an issue if there was violence.
According to Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office records dating back to Jan. 1, 2017, there have been more than 100 calls for service at the location that has applied for a liquor store license.
“We are filing for an appeal. The second, we want to file nuisance charges against the present liquor lounge,” Clark-Murray said.
Paul Harden, who represented the owner of the property during the meeting, Anwar Properties, said this is a matter of property owner rights, but community leaders say they are not giving up.
Pastor Aloysious Denard, of Friendship Missionary Baptist Church, said his church will be impacted by the liquor store. He released a statement that reads:
“The church and community are absolutely devastated by the commission’s approval on yet another liquor store added to our neighborhood. We work so hard to eliminate the negative influences that will potentially impact our children and the quality of life in the area. It’s really disheartening that all respect for God, community, and humanity no longer exists or matters, as long as it generates revenue. It’s like running into a brick wall with the community’s voice falling on deaf ears. This is only the beginning. We will continue to strive, fight for our community, churches, children, and the many seniors that reside in the area until the difference we all desire is made.”
A request for comment from Anwar Properties was not returned by publication of this article.
It is important to note that the commissioners did not have to vote yes, however, despite the concerns of the church and the community, the commissioners granted the ability for the business to open the package liquor store.