Alcohol licenses were the topic Tuesday at the Columbia County Commission meeting with one business getting approved for one and another having one temporarily suspended.
Commissioner Gary Richardson made a motion to temporarily suspend the beer and wine license of Fresco Café, pending a hearing regarding two citations. One citation was for the sale of distilled spirits without a license while the other for selling two types of beer that had been purchased from a retail outlet rather than a wholesale distributor. To sell beer that has not been purchased from a wholesaler is a violation of the code for Georgia alcohol licenses.
County administrator Matt Schlachter noted that the proprietor of the café had recently applied for a distilled spirits license, and that licensing and permits manager Erin Hall found record from the Georgia Department of Revenue of the two citations. Schlachter also noted that the state confiscated 72 bottles of distilled spirits from the restaurant’s premises.
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The board unanimously voted to temporarily suspend Fresco Café’s beer and wine license. The state is scheduled to hear the case on Oct. 28 in Atlanta. If the business is found guilty of the charges in the citation, its beer and wine license will be revoked; if found innocent, it will be allowed to resume beer and wine sales.
The board approved an alcoholic beverage license for Mi Rancho Mexican Restaurant, which is in the process of opening a new location at 407 Furys Ferry Rd. in Martinez.
The board voted to approve two rezoning and variance requests. A property at 287 Settlement Rd. will be rezoned from general commercial to heavy commercial. A property at 4414 Hereford Farm Rd. will be rezoned from single family residential to professional for the in order to establish a chiropractic office.
Skyler Q. Andrews is a staff reporter covering Columbia County with The Augusta Press. Reach him at skyler@theaugustapress.com.
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