TO: Honorable Mayor & Members of the North Port Commission
FROM: A. Jerome Fletcher II, ICMA-CM, MPA, City Manager
TITLE: Discussion and Possible Action Regarding the Code of the City of North Port, Florida, Chapter 6 - Alcoholic Beverages, Sec. 6-4. - Sales Near Churches or Schools.
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Recommended Action
Direct staff to prepare an Ordinance amending the Code of the City of North Port, Florida, Chapter 6 - Alcoholic Beverages, Sec. 6-4. - Sales Near Churches or Schools to:
1. Specify that the distance requirements apply only to adult oriented businesses, bars and night clubs (essentially exempting craft breweries/wineries, hotels places of assembly, recreation, commercial, and restaurants from the distance requirements).
2. Reduce the distance requirements between businesses selling alcoholic beverages and churches and schools to from 800-feet to 600-feet.
3. Specify that the distance requirement shall not be imposed on businesses selling alcoholic beverages when a church operating in a strip commercial center is within the established distance.
4. Specify that school as used in these regulations means a state-accredited public or private school for children from the preschool or kindergarten level through senior high school but shall not be deemed to include any other types of schools.
OR
Maintain the distance requirement of 800-feet and recommend the amendments in numbers 1, 3, and 4 above.
OR
Other amendments as approved by the City Commission.
Background Information
The City of North Port's regulations regarding sales of alcoholic beverages in proximity to churches and schools have not been revisited since 1990.
Sarasota County does not impose the distance requirements (800-feet) on food service establishments or those businesses only selling beer and/or wine.
The City of Sarasota only imposes distance requirements on, "any licensed premises devoted during any time of operation predom...
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