Jacksonville Considers Proposal to Cut Down on Liquor Stores
The Jacksonville City Council will consider a bill designed to limit the presence of liquor stores across the city. The bill, introduced by Councilmember Ju’Coby Pittman and co-sponsored by two others, aims to achieve that by requiring that package stores licensed to sell beer, wine, and liquor be at least 1,500 feet (up from 500) from a church or school and 3,500 feet from another package store. This follows a 2024 effort to crack down and liquor and vape stores in the “vulnerable” parts of the city, also led by Councilmember Pittman.
The legislation, introduced on April 8, 2025, has been referred to the Land Use & Zoning Committee for further review. The firm will monitor its progress.
“Pittman also said this would not apply to places like restaurants or entertainment venues where food is served. She also said this is not meant to be anti-business, but her constituents are concerned.”
The remainder of this article has been excerpted from the city council’s bill summary: The Community/General Commercial Category within the zoning code allows a wide range of retail sales and services, including general merchandise, apparel, food, and related items. This bill amends the permitted uses and structures for the Commercial Community/General-2 (CCG-2) zoning district. Currently, establishments that sell alcoholic beverages, including liquor, beer, or wine, may be considered CCG2. This bill would remove liquor sales as a permitted use, leaving behind beer or wine sales as permitted. Also, establishments that include the retail sale of all alcoholic beverages, including liquor, beer, or wine for onpremises consumption, are presently considered permissible uses by exception under the CCG-2 District. This bill would amend the code to include off-premises consumption or both.
The bill also makes changes to distance limitations for on and off-premises consumption of alcohol, beer and/or wine. It expands the distance of off-premises consumption of all alcoholic beverages from an established school or church from no less than 500 feet to no less than 1500 feet. The Ordinance Code currently states that distance limitations shall not apply to a church or school in a CN, CCG-1, or CCG-2 zoned district if the church or school is on a parcel of land with unrelated principal use. This bill would remove that language and mandate that two liquor license locations approved for the off-premises consumption of all alcoholic beverages shall be no less than 3,500 apart.
