Describing it as a “gift” to the citizens of Athens, Mayor Ronnie Marks on Thursday implored the City Council to approve a resolution to transfer $600,000 from the alcohol fund to pay for infrastructure projects.

The council had already allocated $1.3 million for street improvements for this fiscal year and recently approved a $795,000 task order to pave several streets, including North Jefferson Street, Durham Drive, Fifth Avenue, Lucas Ferry Road and Clinton Street. The council ultimately decided to introduce the measure at Thursday’s meeting and should vote on it at the next council meeting, set for June 3.

Marks told the council it would be up to them how the additional $600,000 would be allocated — greatest need or equally among the five districts. He also said the money could be used for any infrastructure project, including paving, drainage improvements or sidewalks.

“We’ve got a pretty strong (needs) list, and I’m sure this won’t cover everything, but it would be a good start,” the mayor told the council. “Jefferson Street is on the paving list, and we hope to be in there by the first week of June because it’s a rub-board.”

Public Works Director James Rich told the council he had been working to develop a capital improvement plan, but it wouldn’t be ready until the end of June. He told councilmen he would work with them to identify specific needs in their districts.

Alcohol appeal

Elsewhere Thursday, the council reversed a decision by the city’s Public Works Department to halt an on-premises retail alcohol license application for an expanding business.

The proprietors of Sabor Latina Taqueria Inc., which operates an existing restaurant on U.S. 72, are opening a second location in the Hometown Market shopping center on U.S. 31. The restaurant applied for an alcohol license, but the request was immediately denied by the Public Works Department because of the restaurant’s proximity to Cultivate Church.

The shopping center is zoned B-2, or general business district. Under the zoning, a business wishing to sell alcohol must be 500 feet from a church, school or child-care facility. From door to door, the new restaurant and Cultivate Church are 65 feet apart.

Attorney Richard Chesnut, who is representing Sabor Latina owner Daniel Espinoza and his family, told the council his clients had settled in Limestone County and “are business people.” He said the new restaurant would not have a bar but would instead be a family restaurant.

“The application for a liquor license is incidental to the serving of the food,” Chesnut said. “It is there to provide some equality of attractiveness to the public, like Casa Blanca or Village Pizza.”

In making his case to the council, Chesnut pointed out the city defines a church as a “church building.” He said the zoning rule would not apply in this case because Cultivate Church is in a shopping center. He also pointed out Hometown Grocery, which is in the same shopping center, already sells beer and wine.

“With this definition, we’re dealing with a unit in a shopping center being used as a church,” Chesnut said. “I’m not trying to split hairs, but it’s an important definition. You have to have some guidelines.”

Council President Harold Wales said Chesnut presented a compelling argument on that point, which is what led he and Councilman Joseph Cannon to say it could be time to re-examine the city’s current alcohol ordinance.

“We just decided that’s a public shopping center and there’s already beer being sold at Hometown,” Wales said. “If you’re going to put a church in a shopping center, you probably should be aware there could be alcohol being sold (elsewhere in the center).”

Sabor Latina’s alcohol license application will now proceed through the normal channels and will be reviewed by the city’s alcohol review board. The City Council will ultimately decide whether to approve the license request at a future meeting.

Other business

In other business, the council:

• Reappointed Wade Batts to the Houston Memorial Library Board for a four-year term ending June 11, 2023;

• Appointed Frank Crafts to the Historic Preservation Commission for a three-year term ending May 23, 2022;

• Approved spending $49,225 to resurface streets after the First Avenue drainage improvement project is complete; and

• Rescheduled the June 10 council meeting to Monday, June 3. The regular meeting will start at 5:45 p.m., and a work session begins at 5.