Planning commission recommends liquor‑store retail be added as a conditional use in Commercial Residential zone

The Monroe City Planning Commission voted May 19 to recommend that liquor‑store retail be added to the city’s Land Use Ordinance as a conditional use in the Commercial Residential zone.

At a public hearing, the owners of the Monroe City gas station proposed converting the east side of their building into a retail package‑agency liquor outlet, saying the plan would be a "retail liquor sales establishment — not a bar — with its own separate entrance" and that expanding floor area to about 2,200 square feet would help sustain the business.

Commissioners, residents and staff discussed traffic, market demand and regulatory constraints. Nearby residents said they were concerned about increased traffic on an already busy residential street; the applicants said many customers currently travel out of town for liquor purchases and that they had received strong positive interest on social media. Staff clarified that Monroe City currently has no ordinance that addresses liquor‑store retail (beer is addressed separately) and that adding the use to the land‑use code would not substitute for state licensing by the Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control (DABC), including distance requirements from schools and the DABC’s population‑quota licensing thresholds.

Commissioner Riley Lindsay said that because Monroe has no purely commercial zone, the Commercial Residential zone is effectively the appropriate location for retail uses and that the city should retain project‑level discretion. Commissioner Lance Roberts said prior conversations, including with the Sheriff, had not produced data showing a package agency would increase DUIs or public‑safety incidents, and emphasized the Commission’s role in weighing community interests.

The Commission agreed with a member of the public who recommended designating liquor‑store retail as a conditional use so the city can impose conditions or deny specific applications based on project merits. Commissioner Riley Lindsay moved to recommend to the City Council that liquor‑store retail be added as a conditional use in the Commercial Residential zone; Commissioner Amy Moore seconded the motion, which carried unanimously.

Next steps: if the City Council accepts the Planning Commission recommendation, any applicant would still need to secure state DABC licensing and meet any city‑level conditions set during a subsequent land‑use review.