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Barberton planning committee backs proposal for downtown community entertainment district to expand liquor options
Summary
Councilors called for legislation to create a downtown Community Entertainment District (CED) that would allow D-5J liquor permits within the mapped area, aiming to let more restaurants and entertainment venues serve alcohol without costly transfers from other cities.
Barberton planning and annexation committee on Monday called for legislation to establish a downtown Community Entertainment District that would make limited liquor permits available within a mapped zone.
Melanie, a Main Street representative, told the committee the downtown area now has ‘‘0 beer, 0 wine, 0 d fives’’ available and said new restaurants and entertainment venues need access to liquor permits to open without buying a license from another city.
The CED proposal would allow one D-5J license for every five acres inside the district, up to a maximum of 15 licenses, and would permit Sunday sales if voters approve a citywide ballot measure. Melanie said businesses that obtain a license under the district could not move that license outside the district.
Jeremy, a downtown business owner, described the alternative he faces now: ‘‘they're gonna have to annex it from another city, which is gonna cost them around $20,000 or more.’’ Council members and staff explained that transferring an existing license from another municipality (sometimes called a ‘‘Trex’’) can be costly and slow, with legal fees and state processing time.
Officials discussed fees and timing: the D-5J license would carry the same annual fee as a regular D-5 license (roughly $2,100 per year), and staff estimated Liquor Control review might take one to two months for district licenses because of cross-checking. Council members also noted the district has an acreage-based cap and that licenses issued there cannot leave the district.
Planning committee members moved to call the ordinance and map for further consideration; committee members requested emergency wording and a single reading when brought to council. The committee did not adopt final legislation Monday; the measure will return to full council for a vote after formal introduction.
