Faulkner County court removes emergency clause for Mayflower restaurant liquor ordinance after lengthy debate

The Faulkner County Quorum Court on June 17 voted to remove the emergency clause from proposed ordinance 25-19, an ordinance that would allow an application for a private-club liquor permit at Creekside at Plum Station, a new restaurant planned at 941 Highway 365 in Mayflower. Justice Strange, who introduced the item, said the change would convert the measure from an emergency ordinance requiring an immediate vote into one that will receive three readings over subsequent meetings.

The move effectively delayed a final court vote on the ordinance. Robin Jones and Rusty Waters, the property owners supporting the restaurant, described plans to renovate a historic 2,600-square-foot house and add a roughly 2,000-square-foot kitchen to operate a small, sit-down restaurant that the applicants say would better compete with nearby communities. “We are not here to promote alcohol at all. We are here to support economic growth, honor the rich history and heritage of this land and offer something special to our community,” Robin Jones told the court.

Why it matters: The ordinance touches on local wet/dry policy and alcohol permitting, a topic the court said draws strong local interest. Under Arkansas practice cited in the meeting, county-level approval is part of the process before applicants appear before the Arkansas Alcoholic Beverage Control (ABC) board. Michael Langley, an attorney who said he formerly ran the state’s ABC office, told the court that Faulkner County already has numerous active permits and that state law (including the local “Betty Pickett Amendment,” named in the meeting) allows restaurants to serve alcohol as an amenity when food service is the primary business.

Discussion highlights: Supporters said the project preserves a historic building, will provide dinner service in an area that now primarily offers breakfast and lunch, and could spur additional local improvements (applicants said they are in talks with the Army Corps of Engineers about a nearby boat ramp and park). Several justices expressed concern about creating a “slippery slope” that could encourage other similar applications in areas that oppose alcohol sales. Justice Smeets asked whether an approval here would make future approvals harder to deny; attendees and the court’s legal adviser said ABC and the court consider applications case by case.

Court action and next steps: The court approved a motion to delete the ordinance’s emergency clause; that amendment means ordinance 25-19 will return to the court for its scheduled first reading rather than being adopted tonight. If the court later approves the ordinance after the required readings, the applicants must still apply to and obtain approval from the Arkansas Alcoholic Beverage Control board before selling alcohol on site.

The court emphasized public notice and the opportunity for neighbors to comment in future meetings. County Attorney Murphy clarified that removing the emergency clause will require three readings and will extend the timeline for final consideration.

Ending: With the emergency clause removed, the judge said the ordinance will appear for its first reading in a future session and recommended that members of the public who want to comment monitor upcoming agendas. The applicants said they will continue construction work on the kitchen while pursuing permits and will bring additional information back to the court as the ordinance proceeds.