JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – People who live in the Golfair community are rallying against a liquor store set to open near their homes and a Jacksonville middle school. They now have hired a local attorney for help.
A nondescript beige building on Golfair Boulevard across the street from KIPP VOICE Academy is the future home of a package liquor store. But community leader Lydia Bell says it’s unwanted.
“They think they are just going to ease up in our neighborhood by our children and we are supposed to accept it? No, it’s not going like that,” said Bell, President of Metro Gardens Neighborhood Association.
The dispute started in 2020 when the owner of the building, Gurpreet Singh, applied for an exemption to sell liquor in the building.
Jacksonville’s Planning and Development Department recommended that the exemption be denied.
During the hearing, Paul Harden, Singh’s attorney was quoted saying, “To thwart a citizen so as to deprive him of that ability and joy, the lawful use of his land, a miscarriage of justice has occurred.”
However, during the hearing, on July 23, 2020, it was approved by the commission.
Bell said she and others never got a notice in the mail about the hearing.
“I was notified by my 15-years-old who said ‘Auntie, that’s going to be a drive-in liquor store,’” Bell said.
Bell and dozens of other homeowners held a rally in front of the future store in April. They have lived in the community for decades and want answers.
“The question I now have is how could you have a hearing without the man two main neighborhood associations that did not receive notices?” Bell said.
Jack Webb, is representing the community association that wants the store closed. Webb has been an attorney since 1994 and has four years of experience in local politics.
“It seems to me that something kind of fell through the cracks perhaps and can we pull the pieces out of the cracks thats really the challenge here,” Webb said.