CLARKSVILLE, TN (CLARKSVILLE NOW) – After months of deliberation, the City Council has approved an ordinance that would leave the maximum number of liquor stores allowed within city limits at 27, while removing the restriction of adding only two stores every two years.

Originally, Councilperson Wanda Smith had asked the council to limit the number of liquor stores to 14 – the number we currently have – so the city can address and decrease the number of DUIs, as well as wrecks and fatalities caused by alcohol consumption.

When the ordinance returned to the City Council last month, the proposal had been amended to remove the section that limits the number of liquor stores. The first vote was postponed until Oct. 3. Some council members expressed a desire to revise that section of the code, which they brought forward last Thursday.

Four amendments were brought forward on the night, including two from Smith, and the other two from Councilpersons Deanna McLaughlin and Ambar Marquis.

‘We need to pause opening liquor stores’

Smith’s second amendment called for the council to stop liquor stores from coming to Clarksville completely until 2032.

“The only pro I’ve found in opening more liquor stores is that we can make more revenue,” Smith said. “We need to pause opening liquor stores every two years; we need to pause that. We have so many statistics that prove that premature deaths are happening. … Let’s look at the health of the citizens. We’ve got many phone calls, many letters, from citizens in this city that are opposing opening more liquor stores. … We have so many around us.”

Currently, there are 14 liquor stores in Clarksville, with an additional two licensed in July that haven’t yet opened. That means 16 active licenses, according to previous reports.

City Code allows for one liquor store for every 6,000 residents in the Census, so that means Clarksville could, in theory, currently have up to 27 stores. But, to keep the increase in stores moderated, that same code allows for only two new licenses to be issued every even-numbered year.

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On Thursday, Smith’s amendment needed two-thirds vote to pass, but failed 10-2 with only Smith and Travis Holleman voting in favor. Her first amendment, which looked to put a pause on new liquor stores from coming to Clarksville until the city comes to an agreement on how to help decrease DUIs and other crimes associated with alcohol, was voted down 10-2 as well.

Liquor store locations limit

Marquis looked to amend the ordinance to accomplish a couple of things including:

  • Distance new liquor stores at least 500 feet from schools, parks and religious institutions (with an exemption for those already within the 500 feet of said entities).
  • No retail liquor store closer than 1,500 feet from another retail liquor store.

“If we were to try and follow the current procedures … it would be I believe 27 (liquor stores). I’m trying to remove that number to make it more of a locations limit,” Marquis said.

The council had mixed feelings about the amendment, and it failed 7-5.

McLaughlin presented the final amendment to the ordinance which would “keep the liquor store limit to 27 but eliminate the formula for two liquor stores every two years until we hit 27. It would automatically raise the limit to 27, effective July 1, 2025.”

Brian Zacharias proposed updating the definition of a liquor store, but decided the council can revisit the action if the amendment and ordinance were to pass.

The McLaughlin amendment was approved 9-3, and the ordinance itself was then approved 9-3. Smith, Holleman and Keri Lovato all voted against the amendment and ordinance, while Zacharias, McLaughlin, Wallace Redd, Marquis, Wanda Allen, Karen Reynolds, Stacey Streetman, Joe Shakeenab and Mayor Joe Pitts voted in favor. Dajuan Little was absent.

The council will have to vote on final approval in second reading at next month’s meeting, at 6 p.m. on Nov. 7.

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