The Forney City Council approved an alcohol variance for Zanata restaurant which will allow the restaurant to sell alcohol at their proposed location in downtown – a critical step for the future of the restaurant in Forney, Texas.
Contrary to reports of the entire city ordinance being amended, the council was only considering a variance to Section 4.02.004 of the City of Forney Code of Ordinances for the operator of Zanata at 213 and 215 South Bois D'Arc Street. The vote to approve the variance was unanimous at the December 3, 2013, council meeting after a public hearing was held.
The variance was required because of distance requirements set forth in the City of Forney Code of Ordinances and the Texas Alcoholic Beverage Code. The proposed location is next to a Forney Independent School District campus.
Opposition for the measure came in the form of a Forney ISD School Board resolution which was passed in June of 2012 requesting the Forney City Council to retain the ordinance and the “alcohol-free zone” in full effect within 300 feet of FISD district property.
Much of the packed council chambers were members of the Forney Downtown Business Association (FDBA) who voted earlier this morning in their monthly meeting for the variance, citing the economic advantages for downtown. FDBA President Joe Dan McBeth told the council members during the public hearing, “We are all in agreement it will enhance our vision for downtown, it will enhance the traffic, it will do nothing but benefit all of our business owners and thus the City of Forney.”
Kaufman County resident Samantha Keats briefly spoke on the variance with concerns that more and more businesses will be granted variances therefore creating a “wet city.” Forney Mayor Darren Rozell responded, “We've had discussions before about alcohol downtown at restaurants and we've never had a good solution as a way to move forward. Granting a variance for this property, to this restaurant, gives us that protection because it's to Zanata at this address. Now if any of those two things change, the variance goes away which means their license goes away.”
Community Development Director Peter Morgan said he also received one e-mail in support of the measure after sending out notices to property owners within three hundred feet from the property. “It is quite typical actually that we don't receive responses [to those notices],” said Morgan.
Zanata will still be required to apply for their proper licensing with the Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission. If approved, construction on Zanata is expected to begin in February of 2014, according to a timeline with the Forney Economic Development Corporation.
The variance was required because of distance requirements set forth in the City of Forney Code of Ordinances and the Texas Alcoholic Beverage Code. The proposed location is next to a Forney Independent School District campus.
Opposition for the measure came in the form of a Forney ISD School Board resolution which was passed in June of 2012 requesting the Forney City Council to retain the ordinance and the “alcohol-free zone” in full effect within 300 feet of FISD district property.
Much of the packed council chambers were members of the Forney Downtown Business Association (FDBA) who voted earlier this morning in their monthly meeting for the variance, citing the economic advantages for downtown. FDBA President Joe Dan McBeth told the council members during the public hearing, “We are all in agreement it will enhance our vision for downtown, it will enhance the traffic, it will do nothing but benefit all of our business owners and thus the City of Forney.”
Kaufman County resident Samantha Keats briefly spoke on the variance with concerns that more and more businesses will be granted variances therefore creating a “wet city.” Forney Mayor Darren Rozell responded, “We've had discussions before about alcohol downtown at restaurants and we've never had a good solution as a way to move forward. Granting a variance for this property, to this restaurant, gives us that protection because it's to Zanata at this address. Now if any of those two things change, the variance goes away which means their license goes away.”
Community Development Director Peter Morgan said he also received one e-mail in support of the measure after sending out notices to property owners within three hundred feet from the property. “It is quite typical actually that we don't receive responses [to those notices],” said Morgan.
Zanata will still be required to apply for their proper licensing with the Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission. If approved, construction on Zanata is expected to begin in February of 2014, according to a timeline with the Forney Economic Development Corporation.