Store Wars
The City of St. Matthews is in a pickle:
…it has to decide whether to allow one of its most prominent retail corners to become a liquor store even if it has a statute that doesn’t allow it.
At tonight’s City Council meeting, the owner of the Beverage Warehouse, located just across the street, will argue that a St. Matthews law prevents liquor stores from opening within 700 feet of an existing liquor store. And he doesn’t want to see a giant Liquor Barn open up at a former car lot across Shelbyville Road from his store.
The city first denied Liquor Barn’s application for license, then reversed course after Liquor Barn’s lawyer sent them an apparently scary letter. Now that Liquor Barn is almost finished building the store, Beverage Warehouse jumps out, shouts “booga booga,” and St. Matthews is looking for someplace to hide.
Maybe everyone ought to have a couple of drinks and talk things out.