The Resaca City Council passed an alcohol ordinance, albeit not the one they originally discussed.

The council members had initially discussed passing an alcohol ordinance based on Calhoun’s which would require restaurant sales to be at least 60-percent food versus 40-percent alcohol, but when the attorney presented the ordinance to be voted on and signed, the paperwork had a 50-50 split.

The new ratio sparked questions from some officials.

“Why would you want to change it?” asked councilman Jim Brown, who supported the 50-50 wording of the ordinance.

“I don’t want a bar on the corner,” said Mayor Samuel Allen.

The ordinance has been discussed over the course of several months with officials promising to adopt it once voters decided if they wanted to sell alcohol by the drink. That referendum passed in November’s election.

Other provisions were the same as Calhoun’s, including that places which serve or sell alcohol must be 200 yards, via right-of-way, from churches and schools.

Charles Austin made the motion to pass the ordinance as it was and Brown seconded it. Jean Makonis opposed the motion.

Set back ordinance

The city council decided to table a setback ordinance after concerns about narrow property spaces came up.

Buildings on commercial property would have to be set back from the road 35 feet, and 25 feet from the back property line.

The land located between U.S. Hwy. 41 and the railroad tracks would not allow setbacks, however. Both Brown and Council Member Mitch Reed own property in this area.

“If you have areas like I have, its not going to work for me,” said Brown. “It’s not what I need to develop my property.”

“The setback in the front would hurt me,” Reed said.

Residential property requires buildings to be at least 25 feet from the road and 20 feet from the rear property line. Despite the issue of variances being discussed, it was not enough to bring the motion to vote.

“We have to consider that when elections come around, we may not be here and we might not get the variance,” said Brown.

“We don’t want to hurt anyone in town,” said Allen, agreeing with Brown to table the motion to look at the numbers again. “We don’t want to foul anyone.”

In other Resaca news:

The council agreed to let Allen handle the purchase of property located next to the recreation department. They agreed to spend $42,000 to purchase the house and land owned by Jane DeFoor in order to expand the recreation department.

According to the agreement, the town would put $12,000 down and pay $30,000 over the next three years at a six-percent interest rate. The town would make yearly payments of $11,223.19 and would fund the purchase partially with SPLOST money.