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Collierville board advances overhaul of alcohol rules and companion zoning changes
Summary
The Collierville Board of Mayor and Aldermen approved second readings of two ordinances updating the town's alcoholic beverage code and related zoning rules, including a new temporary event beer permit, removal of proximity limits, and other changes to modernize regulation.
The Collierville Board of Mayor and Aldermen on second reading approved two companion ordinances to modernize the town's alcoholic beverage rules and related zoning.
The measures, Ordinance 2025-09 (alcohol code changes) and Ordinance 2025-08 (zoning amendments), were approved unanimously following staff presentations and a public hearing that included business owners urging the change so they can serve beer on-site.
The ordinances rewrite Chapter 1-16 of Collierville's code to simplify permit categories and align regulation with current business models, Assistant Town Administrator Adam Hamrick said. Major substantive changes include reorganizing permits based on how beer is consumed (on-site, off-site, event-based), creating a short-term event permit (up to four permits per applicant per year, duration up to 30 days, consecutive or nonconsecutive), and removing the ordinance's distance restrictions from churches and schools. The revised code also removes a pre-application residency requirement that had required U.S. citizenship or one year of lawful residency to apply, Hamrick said.
Staff proposed tying the town's liquor privilege tax classifications to state classifications so future state changes do not require town code amendments, and clarified billing and collection procedures and enforcement tools, Hamrick said. The ordinance removes several provisions staff called outdated or duplicative, including a telephone-line requirement, bans on video games or pool tables, a dancing prohibition and a requirement to sell food for on-premises beer permits.
Town Planner Jamie Gross described companion zoning changes that adjust the use table and add definitions for modern business types such as microdistilleries, micro-wineries and nightclubs; some entertainment uses would be shifted out of industrial zones into commercial and mixed-use districts. The planning commission recommended approval in July, Gross said.
Two business owners addressed the board during the public hearing. Mark McMinn, owner of a Square business, said not being able to offer alcohol puts some restaurants at a competitive disadvantage. Adam Clay, owner of Pickleball 901, said on-site beer sales are a common amenity at similar facilities and would help the club's viability while increasing local sales tax revenue.
The board approved both ordinances on second reading; the mayor indicated the next and final reading is scheduled for Aug. 25, the date staff said would be the ordinances' effective date if adopted then. Staff said forms and internal training would be updated if the changes become final.
Votes: Ordinance 2025-09 (second reading) — Ayes: Stamps, Robbins, Hall, Jordan, Marshall, Mayor Frazier. Ordinance 2025-08 (second reading) — Ayes: Robbins, Hall, Jordan, Marshall, Stamps, Mayor Frazier.
Why it matters: Town staff described the code as last fully reviewed in 1983 with 21 piecemeal amendments since then. The rewrite aims to reduce confusion for businesses and staff, better accommodate modern venues and make temporary event permitting simpler.
What remains: Both ordinances were approved on second reading; third reading and final adoption are scheduled for Aug. 25, 2025, if the board follows the current schedule.
