Kosciusko County Alcoholic Beverage Commission tabled a decision Thursday on a request for a new beer and wine license from Freedom Oil LLC for the company's Freedom Express gas station at 750 S. Ind. 13, North Webster.
The hearing was the second the local board has held on the request. On Feb. 1, the ABC unanimously denied Freedom Oil's request. At that hearing, seven remonstrators from North Webster spoke against the request. At an Aug. 8 appeals hearing in Indianapolis, a judge ruled to send the request back to the local board for a second hearing.
Freedom Oil managing member Gregory Cobb presented a petition bearing 163 signatures in favor of granting the license Thursday. ABC member Elim Smith told Cobb he still has concerns about granting the license.
"My feeling is you've got, in approximately 500 feet, CVS with beer and wine and, within 1,000 feet, you've got a liquor store," Smith said. "I feel that is enough."
ABC member Kenneth Johnson said he is not in favor of granting alcohol licenses to gas stations where he said it is easier for minors to obtain alcohol.
"It's too easy for beer and wine to go out of those things," Johnson said.
Cobb told the board the gas station's youngest employee is 23 or 24 years old. He said denial of the alcohol license would put Freedom Express at a competitive disadvantage.
"I have to compete against the CVS, Wal-Mart and Owens to survive," Cobb said.
Excise Officer April Tackett made a motion to table the request until the next ABC meeting, Nov. 1. Tackett said Freedom Express has not yet posted a sign at the gas station to inform the public of the second hearing.
"I think we should wait and ensure that all of the public has been informed before holding the second hearing," Tackett said.
If the ABC denies the request for the second time, the final decision will be left to the state.
The Nov. 1 hearing will be held at 1 p.m. in the Old Courthouse, Warsaw.
In other news, the ABC approved alcohol license renewals for Milford Party Pack, Milford; The Bulldog Saloon, Mentone; Liquid Assets Fine Spirits, Wagon Wheel Theatre, Pizza Hut, Spikes Beach Grill/Noa Noa and Applebee's Neighborhood Grill/Bar, all of Warsaw.
The board also approved a transfer of ownership for Pete's Fabulous Fish of Syracuse.
Board members are Smith, Johnson, Gordon Vanator and an excise officer.
