A drink with dinner?
Council wants hearing to put zoning in place
Staff reporter
Hillsboro City Council wants to hear from the public about where exactly the city should allow drinking establishments.
During Tuesday's council meeting, the council instructed Hillsboro Planning Commission to schedule a public hearing to allow restaurants and private clubs to sell liquor by the drink in areas zoned for commercial use.
Mayor Delores Dalke said the city had passed an ordinance that was compliant with the state liquor by the drink laws.
County liquor laws do not allow open bars but do allow packaged alcohol sales, a class A and B clubs (private establishments, American Legion, etc.), and restaurants that sell more food than alcohol.
"We need to move forward with this so the city can move forward," Dalke said.
The planning commission was given the task of developing zoning regulations for liquor consumption issues that were initiated when someone came to the city office and asked where a bar could be located.
Reluctant to determine the regulations for what the planning commission considered an unpopular topic, the ball was returned to the city council's court for consideration.
Ordinances are in place that allow for alcohol beverage establishments but until the city determines the appropriate locations, none can operate.
It was reported to the council that members of the planning commission had the position that the majority of Hillsboro residents do not want liquor by the drink but those same members do not want to hinder progress.
"I'm not eager to set up open bars but would like to see restaurants be allowed to serve alcoholic drinks," councilman Bob Watson said.
Zoning and planning consultant John Riggs said a conditional use permit could be required for all those who apply for liquor zoning. This would require the application for the permit to be approved by the council instead of handling it only as a zoning issue where it would be approved or denied by the board of zoning appeals.
A complete story about Tuesday's council meeting will be in next week's paper.
