Liquor by the drink could come to Hillsboro
Public hearing is Sept. 27
The public will have an opportunity Sept. 27 to voice their opinions regarding the districts in which liquor by the drink will be allowed.
Current Hillsboro zoning regulations allow taverns but there is no city law governing alcohol being sold in restaurants.
During the Hillsboro City Council meeting Sept. 4, councilman Shane Marler asked city attorney Dan Baldwin about a form that needed to be signed by the city as the first step for applying for state license for a restaurant to sell alcoholic beverages.
At that meeting, Baldwin said those areas in the city zoned limited commercial and general commercial would allow liquor by the drink. The only issue was the parking requirement which requires a certain number of off- street parking spaces per seats in the restaurant.
Mayor Delores Dalke said she thought the downtown area did not require off-street parking.
Marler said the form that the city clerk needed to sign would allow alcohol sales in a zoned area and did not pertain to parking issues.
City clerk Jan Meisinger said the city's zoning regulations are not in place for liquor by the drink.
However, Baldwin told Meisinger she could sign the form as requested by Marler, who said he had formed a corporation with La Cabana Mexican restaurant.
The city's planning commission will hold a public hearing at 7 p.m. Sept. 27 at city hall to allow public comment regarding proposed changes in the limited commercial, highway commercial, and central business district overlay of the general business district which would allow liquor by the drink to be sold in restaurants with conditional use permits issued by the council.
Following the public hearing, the planning commission can take action regarding the proposed changes.
