Commission says no to downtown liquor store

The Jacksboro Planning and Zoning Commission voted against a request to locate a liquor store on the downtown square.

During its meeting Tuesday, the commission considered the request for a conditional use permit to allow for the store at 123 E. Archer.

The owner of Discount Liquor in Bryson sought to open the store.

Planning and Zoning has been working for some time to update the city’s land use chart and recently shrunk the area zoned as the Central Business District to one block surrounding the courthouse. Any business wishing to locate within the Central Business District requires a conditional use permit.

P&Z has been working for more than a year to outline uses for the various zoning types in Jacksboro. A liquor store was not a part of the list of uses for the Central Business District.

Commissioner Lynda Pack said the members had agreed that it would be different if it was a type of business that encouraged tourism such as a restaurant, wine tasting room or microbrewery.

P&Z’s Jim Whitsitt said liquor stores should not be located on the downtown square.

Patti Zuber made a motion recommending that the commission “stay with our new zoning policy to not have a liquor store on the square downtown.”

It was seconded by Bill Jones and the vote was unanimous.

The P&Z recommendation will go before Jacksboro City Council for a vote at its next meeting.

To read the complete article, see the Jan. 27 edition of the Herald-Gazette.