NE: Kearney lifts liquor license restriction for downtown businesses

NBC Nebraska

By Austin Miller

April 13, 2016

KEARNEY, Neb.– Businesses in downtown Kearney are now exempt from a rule that restricts liquor licenses near churches, schools, or hospitals.

On Tuesday, Kearney City Council voted unanimously to lift a liquor license ordinance for businesses downtown,

Before the change, any new business within 150 feet of a school, Church or hospital, was not allowed to have a liquor license. The ordinance also included existing businesses as well, which could have been a problem for downtown bars and restaurants, had a school, church or hospital moved into the downtown.

Kearney Mayor Stan Clouse said it’s a proactive ruling aimed at protecting downtown restaurants and bars.

Before Tuesday’s ruling, had a church, school or hospital moved into the downtown, it could have prevented nearby restaurants and bars from expanding, rebuilding or even selling their business.

“Virtually any business in the food and beverage industry serves alcohol now. It’s really hard to be in business without that unless you’re in fast food,” said Thunderhead Brewing Company Owner Trevor Schaber.

Mayor Clouse said it was a rule that wasn’t really fair for downtown businesses.

“Realistically you could lose your whole business. If we couldn’t expand or sell our business, the value of it is pretty much dissipated,” said Fanatics Sports Bar Owner Todd Schirmer.

Schaber said his brewery has been in business since 1999 and that he had no idea such an ordinance existed.

“It sounds like it was kind of a ridiculous restriction. It’s sort of arbitrary. It could have been used vindictively against bar owners or brewaries, so I’m happy to it go I guess,” said Schaber.

As for Todd Schirmer, he said he was aware of the prior ordinance, but never thought about how it would affect existing businesses.

“We recently expanded our business. Luckily, that wasn’t an issues.at the time, but if a house of worship opened up in the area, that could have prevented us from the expansion that we did,” said Schirmer. “Down the road, when we look to get out of the business, it could inhibit the potential sale of it, so I’m just really proud of them for think about that and addressing it before it became a problem.”