City council members announced Monday there might be a new business on Court Street selling beer.
Chris Knisely, president of the council, said at this week's council meeting that the newly-established Silver Serpent Exotic Gifts, 55 N. Court St., applied for a C-1 Liquor license.
A C-1 liquor license allows for the sale of beer in its original, sealed container for carry-out only.
Silver Serpent is a smoke shop located that opened Aug. 19, according to a previous Post article. Michele Papai, D-3rd Ward, said that would be around the 20th liquor permit on Court Street.
“It’s a lot of liquor permits for a three-block radius,” Papai said.
Papai said council has tried to limit the amount of licenses sold, but was unable to.
“It doesn’t seem to make any difference with the state, and we have no authority outside of the state," she said.
In 2014, council requested a hearing with the Department of Commerce after Chipotle Mexican Grill, 41 S. Court St., applied for a license to sell beer. Council members said too many businesses on Court Street had liquor licenses already.
The following March, the Division of Liquor Control denied the request for a hearing.
Papai also announced that there will be a council Transportation Committee meeting next Monday at 1 p.m. to address the “Home Street Connector,” a proposed connection from East State Street to Home Street behind the library.
She added that the project has garnered negative attention on social media within the past week, due to the fact that the road would run alongside the Hockhocking Adena Bikeway, potentially creating a safety hazard.
In addition, four ordinances were passed at the meeting. Those ordinances authorized the state to conduct bridge inspections in Athens, amended the 2016 appropriations ordinance, authorized construction on the Depot Lift station and allowed American Electric to install fiber cables on Factory Street.
The bridge inspections will be entirely paid for by the state of Ohio under the agreement, Councilman Kent Butler, D-1st Ward, said.
An ordinance increasing the appropriations to the sewage treatment facility at the Depot Lift station was also read, adding $30,000 for odor control.
