Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Code Enforcement topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
FishHawk Spirits told to leave Marion County site after board denies renewal; 90 days to vacate
Summary
The board denied FishHawk Spirits’ special‑use renewal and gave the operator 90 days to vacate after the owners said they could not afford the cost of required site work and building permits; commissioners cited repeated failure to come into compliance.
The Marion County Board denied FishHawk Spirits’ six‑month renewal request and gave the owner 90 days to vacate the premises if they could not bring the property into compliance. Owners told the board they had invested roughly $4.5 million in equipment and brand development but lacked the capital to meet the county’s building‑permit and site‑plan requirements.
County staff outlined an earlier compliance timeline and two options offered at prior hearings: obtain permits and site‑plan approval or find an alternative location suitable for the distillery. Owners testified they had sought alternative sites and were negotiating transfers and bonds to move operations out of Marion County. The board said it had repeatedly worked with the operator to come into compliance but had seen little progress.
Commissioners voted to deny the renewal and gave the operator 90 days to remove equipment and evacuate the site; the board said longer extensions were not appropriate given the repeated chances the operator had been given and that the site operated in a residential/agricultural zone without required permits. The board also noted that county code enforcement could resume after the time limit if compliance did not occur.
