High Springs commission agrees to put brewery petition language before voters after weeks of debate

The High Springs City Commission instructed the city attorney to prepare the required ordinance and ballot language so voters can decide a petition seeking relaxed Sunday rules for breweries and similar businesses.

City Attorney Danielle told the commission staff can present an ordinance, a zoning change or other options but needed definitive direction. “One of the things that staff did was they put together an aerial map of your central downtown area,” Danielle said, and described a common zoning restriction: establishments deriving 51% or more of sales from alcohol cannot be within 500 feet of a church.

Commissioners debated several approaches. Commissioner Howell suggested an industry-specific carve-out that would allow businesses that “manufacture your own product on premises” more leeway, potentially permitting a brewery…