Councilors and community oppose proposed High Spirits liquor store near schools, await Indiana Alcohol and Tobacco Commission decision
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Summary
Councilor Carruthers and community members urged opposition to High Spirits liquor store proposed at 321–329 S. Kentucky Ave., citing proximity to churches, schools and child-care centers; the store faced a state Alcohol and Tobacco Commission hearing the following day.
Councilor Carruthers brought the council up to date on community opposition to a proposed High Spirits liquor store at 321–329 South Kentucky Avenue, saying the location is within walking distance of Nazarene Church, Joshua Academy and several child-care facilities.
Carruthers said she and other council members, local church leaders and community organizations oppose the store because of the neighborhood’s vulnerability and proximity to children’s institutions. She said the store had applied to the Indiana Alcohol and Tobacco Commission (ATC) and that a hearing was scheduled in Indianapolis the next day. "As of tomorrow, they are going before the Indiana Alcohol and Tobacco Commission for a hearing," Carruthers said. She said the store had been operating on a temporary license after a local licensure denial.
Carruthers said the council and state representative Burton had sent letters to the ATC and that local leaders were asking for a favorable outcome for the neighborhood. The council president invited public comment on the item and multiple residents and community members later spoke at public comment urging protections for vulnerable residents on other matters; the transcript shows the liquor-store discussion was informational and part of miscellaneous business rather than a formal council vote.
No formal city action was taken at the meeting regarding the liquor store; the outcome of the state ATC hearing was not recorded in the council transcript provided.
