HUNTSVILLE — Gone are the days of developers and business owners trying to track down owners of adjacent property when applying for on-premise liquor licenses.
The process could take weeks on end, waiting for responses so they can open the taps and uncork revenue.
“We’re trying to make it a little simpler for businesses,” said Madison County Commissioner Phil Vandiver. “There’s a lot of potential at Clift Farms and the Hazel Green area.”
According to the law adopted at Wednesday’s commission meeting, the county would provide a list of people to be notified. Then, the developer/business would only need to prove to the county the notification was sent. There was no longer the need to track down absentee owners or descendants of property owners.
“We had developers come to us with concerns,” Vandiver said. “They didn’t realize things were different in the county and the city.
“We want to make it more accessible and make it as much as we can like the city.”
The county had a similar situation when it adopted a noise ordinance, Vandiver said. It is 85 decibels before 11 p.m. and 75 decibels after – this would aid restaurants (not lounges) that may have musicians on a patio or outdoor setup.
“Now we can use that as a measure,” he said.
The county’s tax revenue from alcohol sales are 50% for the General Fund, 25% for schools, and 25% for volunteer fire departments.
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