Improper City Alcohol Ordinance to Stop Social Club, Declared “Worthless” as Italian Restaurant Opens 1 Block Away from 2 Churches
January 25th, 2013 by iPhone
“How can a restaurant serve alcohol a block away from two churches, when the City Council passed a 1,000 foot minimum distance requirement, when the Social Club’s owner wanted to re-open?”
In their May, 2011 meeting, the Monticello City Council expanded their 500 foot minimum to a 1,000 foot standard, because local pastors and churches opposed the club. (The business’s nuisance status is unrelated to the distance requirement.)
This ordinance has recently been mentioned several times by members of the public, but the question has now been resolved.
The Arkansas Alcoholic Beverage Control Board is exclusively responsible for distance regulations, and those reqirements only apply to liquor in store sites.
This e revelation removes any question about Panorama’s legality, but also opens the door to other related issues for the city.
Choose another article
Newer article: Parks Committee Report
Older article: MEDC Contract Approved by City Council -Edited
Because the guy who owns the social club in not in the click that is monopolizing liquor sales in Monticello.
I think this town needs to calm down and get off their high horse….if you don’t wanna drink, then don’t!!!!! I don’t know what the big deal is.
Here’s an idea: if you think drinking alcohol is wrong, don’t drink any.
For what they are charging for a drink , not many people could leave and get a DWI. The food was good.
And there will most likely not be any killings in the italian restaurant.
when you’ve lived in this city as long as i have you learn that the city will do what they want, ordinance or no ordinance.
This is not about a monopoly. This is about Monticello not wanting a black club! I hope Steve goes back in front of the quorum court again. He will most likely be denied. It’s worth a try. Fair is fair. Steve will run a good club and never had a chance because of his skin color. I’m white and I don’t think it’s fair!
Dear Brad, please re-read the post. It says that the city ordinance is no longer valid. This means the man who owns the social club can
open his establishment should he so choose. Therefore, being part of the “click” is irrelevant. However, regardless of the ordinance, no one has applied for a permit to reopen the Social Club. Look at the Alcoholic Beverage Control website. It tells who has applied for alcohol permits and the directors descison regarding the application. http://www.dfa.arkansas.gov/offices/abc/Pages/board.aspx
Who cares this is 2013 its dumb to even still have dry counties
Its not like we selling the liquor out of the churches… And its not a bar its a nice Italian restaurant…. People don’t go there to get drunk or wasted… My god people get some sense…..
Ive been there plenty of occasions and never once felt like I was in a “bar” or “club”!!!!!! Its a nice place to take your family! Monticello needs to grow with more businesses, gives more job opportunities. But of course the ones that are “well off” isn’t worried about all the jobless people here!
One block, try right next door to the restaurant their is a church right next to the italian eating place at least their was one their not sure if still there. maybe the owner of the restaurant bought him out or forced him to move monticello does have a lot of different clicks in this town wonder if the guy that has the liquor liscense that is going to put restaurant on 138 would have tried to put his place where that one is would the results be the same
No one is going to go to panorama to get drunk and party. People are going there to have a nice meal and maybe a simple drink with their meal. Why is this such a big deal?
He may not be in the click but he cannot control his patrons either, they have a very large gathering of people who can’t seem to get along fighting etc. one of his customers even ran over a police officer attempting to control a large crowd. The police department is called to his establishment (Social club) several times a night when he’s open because he doesn’t monitor the people he lets in, knowing they are from other cities or rival gangs, playing extremely loud music, large groups on the streets outside instead of inside and such that’s why he doesn’t need a club that allows drinking he can’t control his customers because the groups are too large for the area he’s using.
Well said Brad. Well said.
Awesome restaurant ! We are so glad to have it here in Monticello.
That’s just it! The restaurant is a restaurant where families go to dine and have an occasional glass of wine with dinner. They are not going there to get drunk and party. When the social club was open 20 years ago, there were shootings and sirens all night long. the Italian restaurant is not a club but a fine eating establishment. A place to take the family. The social club is definitely not a family outing.
Everyone know why!!!
Anyone can go to Panorama, so I assume it’s not a private club. How did it get a liquor license? I thought Drew County was dry!
Brad I totally agree with you. This is what you call doing what you want with whatever resources you have. Go ahead and make Drew a wet county. We are selling liquor where it is profitable for whom ever is running the county. If you don’t have that name you would not be able to open a business in Monticello to sell liquor. FAIRNESS FOR ALL.
When will Monticello and Drew county get out of those 1940 actions and let clubs, restaurants and stores have a fair and equitable chance to compete with liquor. We are so stupid to have one business selling liquor and another one cain’t. I do not drink but if you do, so be it. It’s none of my business. Some people enjoy a drink with their meal or for socializing. Maybe we shoule band cokes etc, they cause as much damage than liquor.. Just saying
It is what it is but I will not have my kids there seeing any kind of influence of drinking.
My children will be in a “family” restaurant away from booze.
I don’t think they will be having shootings, fights, and a police officer ran over in their parking lot at the resturant. Think back at the history of the Social Club. I do not drink at all and do not like bars at all but this place has no bar where you sit around and get drunk. There is a difference.
Really? Folks need to get a grip. If a person wants to sit down and have a glass of wine or beer then that is their choice. Don’t try to compare a nice restaurant with a social club that the owner can’t control because he wont hire the proper security to deal with the problems. Yes there is a bar in the restaurant. I went there at lunch on a weekday and not one person was served alcohol that I could see. Weekends may be different. It is not like they are getting rich off of it. They are offering a drink with a meal and from what I can tell the owner is responsible enough to tell a patron you have had enough. The permit is legal and I don’t think the police will be called out because of problems. Get over it.
I don’t think that half of you people are really understanding why people are having a problem with this…… it’s because fair is fair. Right is Right and Wrong is Wrong no matter who you are! Nobody should be allowed to sell one thing when someone else cannot sell the same thing just down the road! Either it’s the same laws for everyone or none at all! But Monticello has always been like that, the police get into trouble for sitting down from the country club and get weaving drivers but they make them go sit down from All Stars and get those weavers. When they should have to get all weavers! Point is rich people get drunk just like poor people,treat everybody the same.
Just to state my opinion, I as a lower class local resident,
Believe that monticello has to be the most ignorant city of Arkansas!
A restaurant of such etiquette should not be bad mouthed for
Simply being successful! If drew county were a wet county, we would have 5 times the business! More income would mean we could do lots more! I don’t make 100k a year, but I like a glass of wine every once in awhile! So therefore I shouldn’t have drive 30miles to Pinehill for a beverage! I pay my taxes honestly, just like any other poor folk! If you don’t want ur children exposed to alcohol, your better lock them in ur closet! It’s 2013, learn to except change! Cause it’ll happen wether u like it or not! It’s not 1940! There’s nothing wrong with a beer at dinner or on a Saturday during the game!