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Milledgeville council holds first reading on ordinance allowing microbreweries, brewpubs and wine shops downtown
Summary
On Sept. 9 the Milledgeville City Council heard the first reading of Ordinance O-2509-13 to allow microbreweries, brewpubs and wine shops in the Central Business District with limits on density, operating hours aligned with existing rules and prohibitions on gaming and retail alternative nicotine sales.
The Milledgeville City Council on Sept. 9 received the first reading of Ordinance O-2509-13, which would amend Chapter 6 of the city's code to allow microbreweries, brewpubs and wine shops in the Central Business District and return for a second reading at the Sept. 23 meeting.
The city manager told the council the draft ordinance creates two new articles: one for microbreweries and brewpubs and another for wine shops. He said the ordinance includes numerical limits "that there'll only be 3 microbreweries, which includes brewpubs, within the Central Business District at any one point in time" and that "there'll only be 2" wine shops allowed. He said hours of sale would follow the city's existing section 6-185.
The draft also prohibits gambling in the new establishments and prevents those uses from retailing alternative nicotine products, the city manager said. He noted that a brewpub, because it is also a restaurant, remains subject to a 40% food-revenue expectation, but that requirement would not apply to standalone microbreweries or wine shops.
The city manager emphasized the ordinance was prompted by a developer request to allow these uses downtown and said staff and legal will make technical corrections ahead of the second reading. "Since this is an ordinance, this is the first read, and it will come back for a second read and hopefully approval from you all, at our September 23 meeting," he said.
The council did not take a final vote Sept. 9; the item will be available for further review and formal action at the Sept. 23 meeting.
If adopted, the ordinance would amend Chapter 6 to add the new articles, set density caps and incorporate the city's existing hours-of-sale rules. Specific cross-references in the draft include OCGA citation language and a provision to add section 6-273 for brewpub-specific rules; staff said they would ensure the final version contains the correct statutory headings before the vote.
