Gadsden County commissioners deny special exception for bar and event center in Havana after heated public hearing

Gadsden County commissioners on Tuesday denied a special‑exception request to reopen and operate a bar, lounge and event center at 6766 Florida‑Georgia Highway in Havana, concluding a lengthy quasi‑judicial public hearing that drew dozens of residents, pastors and business supporters.

The request, proposed by Curtis and Tiffany James, sought county approval to operate a bar and event venue in an existing commercial structure and to support an alcohol license. Planning staff and the county'9s planning commission both recommended denial, telling the board the application failed to demonstrate required parking, buffering and noise mitigation and did not meet the county'9s alcohol‑separation standards.

“The planning commission voted unanimously to deny,” planning director Justin Steele told the commission, citing multiple shortfalls in the application including inadequate demonstration of 55 required parking spaces, lack of a traffic or event management plan, inadequate buffering between the building and nearby sensitive uses and a failure to show…