Avon staff outline Riverwalk economic district to ease liquor‑permit quotas; town could craft local commitments

Town staff presented a proposal to create a Riverwalk municipal riverfront district that would allow Avon to recommend alcohol permits to the Indiana Alcohol and Tobacco Commission, effectively bypassing the state's quota system for liquor licenses in a narrowly drawn district.

Anna (staff) summarized statutory requirements and administrative steps: the district must be tied to a qualifying waterway (White Lick Creek qualifies), the district radius cannot exceed 1,500 feet in places, and the town would need to pass an ordinance declaring it has met statutory criteria. Businesses in the district would submit applications, staff would vet them, and the council would make a recommendation letter to ATC. Anna advised that the ordinance can include written commitments (use limitations, operating conditions or cultural/food diversity goals) that applicants would have to honor; violations could be reported to the ATC for enforcement and potential permit revocation.

Council members asked about the intended scale and limits. Staff said the initial expectation was 4–6 restaurants, though the council could craft language to limit the number or types of permitted businesses; application fees in staff research ranged from about $1,000 to $1,500. Questions about enforcement, local revocation power and law-enforcement coordination were discussed: ATC and excise police would still have ultimate jurisdiction for license revocation, but the town could pursue locally required written commitments and ask the ATC to act if commitments were violated.

Council direction: staff will continue drafting ordinance language and an administrative application process; if the council supports moving forward, the item will return as an ordinance for public hearing and formal adoption.