ORANGE COUNTY, Fla. — The fight to keep another liquor store from setting up shop in Pine Hills continues.
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Orange County commissioners denied a business owner’s request to sell alcohol again after a crowd attended the meeting to voice their concerns.
Orange County code doesn’t allow a liquor store to be closer than 1,000 feet from a religious institution.
Members of the Fellowship Missionary Baptist Church said the Clarcona-Ocoee Road and North Powers Drive store is too close and are against another liquor store coming to the neighborhood.
“Another liquor store in an area of the size of Pine Hills, we have over 30 liquor stores,” said Pastor Alandus Sims. “I mean, that means you have an oversaturation of liquor stores.”
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The store is built but can’t be open because it’s less than 1,000 feet from Sims’ church.
On Tuesday, North Star Powers LLC appealed its latest denial and said it is within code if measured from an alternate route and not the route most community members said they take.
“They tried to find a loophole,” Cheryl Soriano said. “All the maps were tight, so there were no loopholes.”
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Two people spoke in favor of the liquor business.
“If we want to have a drink, we should have a drink,” one said.
The attorney for the business, A. Kurt Ardaman, said they will have to see if they file another appeal.
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“The zoning committee said 857 feet, and they have measured this three times before; those numbers aren’t going to change,” Soriano said.
During the meeting, a commissioner asked why the business has been allowed to continuously appeal the decision. Zoning stated as long as they pay, they can request a new measurement.
Sims said its goal is to work with the business owner to place a positive business in the location.
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