Other action
Also during their recent meeting, the Forsyth County commission:
* Approved changing the county’s sign ordinance to provide a new section regarding signs in a master planned zoning district.
* Settled with CB Holdings and Greenworks Lawn and Tree Care for an amount not to exceed $200,000 related to condemning property for the Union Hill/Mullinax Road widening project.
Note: All votes are 3-0, with Commissioners Todd Levent and Cindy Jones Mills absent unless otherwise noted.
-- Kelly Whitmire
FORSYTH COUNTY — A change to Forsyth’s alcohol code will bring the county more in line with state law.
At their most recent meeting, the county commission approved revisions to the code, including altering rules for breweries and brew pubs and deciding how long movie theaters could serve alcohol.
The change to the definition of brew pubs and breweries, which had previously been discussed at a work session and a public hearing, was seen as way to make the local rules consistent with Georgia’s.
“The board directed that we modify the alcohol ordinance to make sure that it embraces and harmonizes with the state law that was adopted by the General Assembly in this legislative session, and we have done that. No more, no less,” said County Attorney Ken Jarrard.
The change for breweries clarifies what can be handed out to customers during a brewery tour and defines how much of a sample or tasting customers are allowed.
For brew pubs, which are defined as an eatery that also brews malt beverages, the changes allow them to offer samples and clarify what business they can sell to.
Another change to the alcohol code made it easier for local movie theaters to sell alcohol for their late screenings.
Due to existing local ordinances, customers had to leave fairly quickly after alcohol sales stopped.
“Once the alcohol sales are discontinued, their patrons had to be off the premises within 30 minutes,” Jarrard said. “That was greatly impacting their ability to show and exhibit movies into the midnight and actually early morning hours.”
Under the new changes, which affect only theaters, movie-goers will be allowed to stay later, though sales will end at the same time.
“What it will allow is that with respect to the sales, the hours of sales will be between 9 a.m. and 11: 30 p.m. Monday through Thursday, 9 a.m. through 12:30 a.m. for Friday, Saturday and Dec. 31,” Jarrard said.
“Their patrons will be able to consume alcohol all the way until 1:30 a.m. Monday through Thursday, 2 a.m. Friday Saturday and New Year’s Day and 12:30 a.m. on Sunday.”
The commissioners also discussed allowing certain grocery stores to have a wine bar on premises, but no action was taken and the issue will be revisited at a future work session.
The changes were approved 3-0, with Commissioners Todd Levent and Cindy Jones Mills absent.