The Jacksonville Planning Commission deferred a vote Nov. 18 on Ordinance 2021-0798, which proposes to amend the zoning code and remove the final decisions on zoning exceptions and waivers for alcohol from the commission and give the final decision to City Council.
The bill is sponsored by Council members Reggie Gaffney, District 7, and Rory Diamond, District 13.
Some commission members requested the Council sponsors attend the next Planning Commission meeting, Dec. 9, to discuss the ordinance.
Commission members were concerned why they were not consulted in creating the ordinance, which removes their function in the process. Some suggested that alcohol-related exceptions and waivers should be removed entirely from Planning Commission review if they will only render recommendations.
Other amendments in the bill include updates to minimum distance criteria; creation of thresholds for liquor stores in commercial community/general-2 zoning; addition of small-scale breweries by exception in commercial community/general-1, commercial community/general-2 and commercial community/general-S; and clarification of the definition of churches and schools relative to alcohol regulations.