Alcohol on the Boardwalk Resurfaces in City Council

Ellijay is returning once again to revisit its alcohol ordinance in relation to the downtown Boardwalk.

A very short meeting ended the Councils 2016 year with only two items on the agenda. One of those items was a first reading on a Boardwalk Open Container Ordinance. Having gone through several options including a Cafe Sidewalk Ordinance and an Armband Ordinance for the Downtown Area during City Events, this latest idea focuses in on the issue that several citizens have brought before the Council, the Boardwalk.

The first reader that was put in the December 19 meeting will simply “exempt the first 165 ft of the Boardwalk from the City’s Open Container Ordinance for alcoholic beverage license businesses that border the Boardwalk and for any special event that the city might permit” according to Mayor Al Hoyle. Since this was the First Reader of the Ordinance, it required no action.

However, if citizens are still wishing to speak on the issue, the ordinance will come for a second reading at January’s meeting.

The Council’s second agenda item also related to alcohol as a new business is applying for a license. Muzaffer Lakdawala has applied for his Off Premise Beer/Wine License as he is ready to re-open Tim Buk Tu Food Mart. Citizens may recall the business from years ago before it shut down.

Lakdawala spoke with FYN as he and his son attended the Council Meeting. He is planning his re-opening in January, and has confirmed he will be re-opening it under the same name.