Fannin county commissioners and local residents and business owners got together this week to discuss a number of issues relating to the county. But the heated topic of beer and alcohol which has been an ongoing debate for this county for awhile had many of the folks at odds including the commissioners who didn't see eye to eye either.
An estimated 70% of beer and wine supporters stormed out of the meeting after a motion was passed to a put beer and wine referendum on the November ballot. Howie Bruce, Chairman of Fannin County Board of Commissioners felt the community deserved the chance to vote on the issue. Bruce feels there are merits and disadvantages of allowing beer and alcohol and it will surely change the community. Many feel that the best option is to allow alcohol by the drink. If the referendum passes in November, Bruce said there wil be strict regulations. No one wants bars and road houses. Most everyone agrees that preserving the attractiveness of our mountain town is paramount.
A local developer reported that our "second homes" market was moving further north, out of Fannin county. Many people feel this is due to restaraunts not being allowed to serve beer and alcohol which inhibits the growth in Fannin county to have better eating establishments. To support this view, one of the commissioners said that 800 homes sold in Fannin in 2006 compared to 200 homes sold to date in 2007. He went on to say this could cause a potential tax problem in the future.
A motion was called to adopt an ordinance to pour beer and wine but the motion died. A new motion was carried to construct a referendum to be voted on in November which prompted the majority of alcohol supporters to walk out.
Donna Yates is a Realtor with Mountain Investments of North Georgia in the beautiful Blue Ridge Mountains. She is passionate about the mountains and real estate and enjoys helping people find their mountain investment! She can be reached at Donna@ellijay.com Please check out www.move2northgeorgia.net for great real estate opportunities!
Ocean City, NJ is still dry, last I knew. You have to leave town to get a beer. I remember this being an issue back in the 1980 when I was a real estate developer at the Jersey Shore. Still is! Do we have a South Jersey REALTOR out there to comment?
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