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Council approves temporary variance for St. Anne—s carnival alcohol sales; site rules and dates unchanged
Summary
The council granted a temporary 241-foot distance variance July 22 to St. Anne—s Catholic Parish to allow on-premise beer-and-wine sales at its September carnival; the request matches prior years with a small service-location change for bingo.
Coppell — The Coppell City Council on July 22 granted St. Anne—s Catholic Parish a temporary distance variance from the city—s 300-foot prohibition so the parish can sell beer and wine at its annual carnival in early September.
City staff explained the request and layout
Planning staff presented the request and said the parcel at 180 Samuel Boulevard lies within the 300-foot radius that the city—s code ordinarily prohibits for on-site alcohol sales near churches or schools (citing city code section 6-16-3). The parish requested a temporary variance for the dates and times of the carnival: Sept. 5 (5 p.m.–11 p.m.), Sept. 6 (10 a.m.–11 p.m.) and Sept. 7 (1 p.m.–6 p.m.). Staff said no notices of objection had been received as of the hearing.
Applicant—s clarification and past practice
Ken Whisler, who oversees the carnival, told council members the event has run with a similar variance for three prior years without major incident. He said a small change this year is a temporary serving table during bingo sessions in an area of the site where soft drinks and popcorn are normally sold; he also said beer and wine sales would be limited (no patrons may leave the premises with an alcoholic beverage) and that the parish has trained volunteer servers.
Public-safety and past incidents
Police staff said the city has not experienced recurring issues related to the prior variances; there was one alcohol-related arrest in a prior year but it was not connected to church operations. Chief Barton confirmed police support for the temporary permit, noting standard conditions and the Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission—s permitting process.
Council action
Council member Walker moved to close the public hearing and approve the variance; the motion passed unanimously (Walker, Carroll, Nevills, Prem Kumar, Hill). The variance will be effective for the carnival dates; St. Anne—s must secure the Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission temporary-event permit and follow any conditions required by city staff and TABC.
Ending
Council approved the short-term variance as requested. Staff said they will coordinate with the applicant on event logistics and compliance with the TABC permit requirements.
