Mr. Sebas Ice Cream Shop was flooded with local business owners and community members Tuesday evening as they gathered to discuss changing the current alcohol ordinance held by the City of Plant City.
The dream, according to the attendees, is to one day have a downtown Plant City where responsible adults could meet up with coworkers or friends after work and split a charcuterie platter and a bottle of chardonnay at a small wine bar nestled in the bottom of one of the historic brick buildings downtown.
For decades even the thought of transforming Plant City into a progressive event haven like Lakeland or Winter Garden would be unfathomable. The last time the thought of altering the ordinance was brought before city commissioners a large group rallied by a community member flooded city hall in opposition of the change.
It’s something many at the meeting Tuesday believed was caused by a misunderstanding of intentions. A quote echoed by many that evening was “We do not want Plant City to become another Ybor.”
Years have passed since that failed attempt at a commission meeting and Main Street members believe it’s time to once again seek a compromise.
To clarify, Main Street only wants to change the ordinances regarding beer and wine. The group is not addressing in any way the liquor ordinances. Those rules will not change with the proposed alterations to the other ordinance.
“When we started this back in November we had a call to arms on what we wanted as a community to see downtown,” Josh Jimenez, treasurer of Main Street, said. “One of the major things was changing the alcohol ordinance… two major things came out of that discussion. We learned that beer and wine bars had large restrictions based on distances to churches and public parks. The second was the public events open container law.”
Referencing beloved community events like the Chamber’s Pig Jam, Jimenez said as is the city could never have a major event of that nature downtown if they serve beer or a glass of wine. That hurts local businesses as well as makes Plant City a drive-through town rather than a destination.
Leaders from Main Street met with City Manager Bill McDaniel and City Attorney Ken Buchman on Jan. 18 and discussed the growing desire to alter the limits to the alcohol ordinance. McDaniel said they explained what the group would need to do to have an ordinance presented to the commissioners.
Jimenez said two altered ordinances the group hopes to present have been written. They are separate ordinances and if the first one passes the second may not. Some in attendance said they supported one, but not the other while others eagerly supported both.
The first and main ordinance is to tackle the Consumption on Premises licenses for beer and wine. The other is in regards to changing the rules to allow 501(c)3 organizations to be able to apply to have events downtown that would include certain alcoholic beverages.
He said the ordinances would also extend to the Midtown district when it is eventually developed.
The current license in place for businesses has restrictions based on items like the size of the establishment, its distance from churches, schools or parks and the income of the establishment.
Restaurants currently have to be “bona fide restaurants,” meaning they have to have no fewer than 100 seats, an overall floor capacity of no less than 2,500 square feet and can’t have any less than 51 percent of its of gross income come from the sale of food and nonalcoholic beverages that are prepared, served and consumed at the establishment.
For most downtown businesses the size alone would eliminate them from consideration. Jay Hollenkamp said he has been attempting to secure a tenant in his building on Evers Street. The dream is to have a wine bar similar to those found in cities surrounding Plant City where there will be small plates like cheese or charcuterie, but not a full kitchen. Hours prior to the Main Street event he had meetings with two potential entrepreneurs, but the current license would bar them from ever setting up shop.
The proposed ordinance will simply create a new category specifically for beer or wine bars. The above restrictions won’t apply if it’s not required to have a full kitchen.
Jake Austin, president of the Plant City EDC, said his office has also been contacted by “multiple microbreweries and wine bar options” that want to bring their business to Plant City, replicating establishments like Keel & Curley, but near the downtown and Midtown districts. The ordinance, however, forced them to continue their search for a perfect home elsewhere.
No one at the meeting was advocating for flooding downtown with bars or bottle clubs, but everyone seemed to be of the consensus that it was time to change and open the door to at least one or two of the classy, thriving markets that have helped spur cities like Lakeland into iconic destinations.
“There’s precedence here in downtown that the community wants these type of establishments,” Jimenez said. “Look at The Strawberry Tap, look at The Corner Store, we need more of those businesses. So what you can do is call five of your best friends and have them (at the commission meeting) and 99 percent of us probably won’t have to say a word. But we’re rallying support.”
If everything goes according to plan, Main Street estimated they would see the first ordinance regarding the COP licenses brought before commissioners sometime in March.
“I just wanted to say how amazed I am at how far this has come since the middle of November when we all met,” Hollenkamp said. “It was a blank sheet of paper and we had ideas for what we might want and we had a great meeting that day, but I know that almost every single person that we talked to leaving that meeting said, ‘Yeah, but is this going to lead to anything?’ Because there are a lot of great meetings that happen and a lot of great ideas, but there’s often times a shortage of execution. In two and a half months I don’t think anyone was expecting to have laws in the pipeline that are going to change the alcohol ordinance, the mural ordinance or events. I think it’s a good time to reflect on what we’ve done in a short period of time and use it to inspire the recruitment and growth we hope to have in the near future.”