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Without all the support and information they presented, Vintage France's petition to sell beer and wine in Winona Lake could have gone either way, according to Kosciusko County Alcoholic Beverage Commission President Darwin Call.
But because the Vintage France owners had a petition of 200-plus names supporting their permit request and had several supporters on hand, the ABC approved Vintage France's petition unanimously.
Thirty-two people were at the meeting to oppose the application and 18 were present to support it. Five Winona Lake merchants were also on hand to support the application.
Julie Ane-Marie Allueva and Michel Joseph Allueva, petitioners, were represented by their attorney, Millard Plumlee. He told the board, "Vintage France is a small deli and boutique located in the new village in Winona Lake." He said the boutique is an upscale grocery that sells imported cheese, meats and gift items. The shop is not within 200 feet of a school or church. If approved, Plumlee said, a substantial portion of the store will continue to be a grocery and gift shop.
"The support for this application is unquestioned," he said.
"In France, food and drink are considered art," said Julie Allueva, co-owner of the shop. She said a common meal in France consists of bread, cheese and wine.
"We're here today because the French cultural experience is not complete without wine," she said. The minimum price of wines sold, she said, will be in the $8 to $10 range.
"People who appreciate a good meal, that's the type of client we want to sell to," she said.
Jim Smelser, a Winona Lake resident, spoke against the petition. He said the community has a history based on religion, and the sale of alcohol would go against the history that the community is trying to reclaim with the current restoration. He also said it was the understanding of the concerned Winona Lake residents that an enabling ordinance had to be passed before the permit could be issued.
David Halyaman, assistant pastor of Believers Baptist Church, said, "It's my belief that our community is dry and has been that way since it's been a community."
He said if the ABC votes against the permit, it would make a statement "that we see what (alcohol's) doing to our community.
"Look at our Christian heritage. Look at the example we will be setting for our children," he said.
Board member Darwin Call told him that Stonehenge Golf Course is already selling alcohol in Winona Lake and has done so since its annexation.
Halyaman said when Stonehenge was annexed, he was not aware of the annexation or that it sold alcohol because he would have remonstrated against it if he had known.
Bob Seitz, another Winona Lake resident, said, "The French culture was never a part of the Winona Lake culture. I feel that if we're going to restore the past ... it seems to me to be absolutely out of sync to have a place in Winona Lake that would sell that which is against the past."
Benjamin Williams said he opposed the petition because he is a volunteer with the Kosciusko County juvenile center and "one of the things kids talk about is alcohol. Kids love alcohol. They love alcohol more than drugs. ... If we start with this, where's it going to end?"
Daniel Stevens spoke in favor of allowing Vintage France to sell wine. He said the big issue in front of the board was change.
"Change is really scary," he said. "Even when we change for the better, people are scared."
He said churches used to be against using musical instruments in church and against selling ice cream on Sundays. That's changed, he said.
Michelle Marshall, Winona Lake, and her husband own the pottery shop next to Vintage France.
"I think it can only help business to offer something unique (in Winona Lake)," she said.
Brent Wilcoxson, president of the Winona Lake town council and the developer in charge of the restoration project, said there were several items he wanted to clear up to the board and to remonstrators.
First, he said, the town council does not have to pass an enabling ordinance for the permit to be granted. An enabling ordinance would apply only for liquor sold by the drink.
Secondly, he said, no one has ever remonstrated against Stonehenge being annexed on the grounds that it sells alcohol. And, he said, no one has ever asked for the annexation of Stonehenge to be revoked on the grounds that it sells alcohol.
Third, he said, Winona Lake once had a Prohibition Political party.
"Where's the Prohibition Party in Winona Lake today?" he asked.
Wilcoxson said he is not trying to return Winona Lake to any time period. He said people need to stop being selective of the views of Winona Lake and concentrate more on making Winona Lake a gathering place.
Board member Gordon Vanator, in giving his reasoning as to why he was in favor of allowing the permit, said the board has to follow statutes put before them, and Vintage France has met the guidelines.
"Winona Lake is not the Winona Lake I hear people opposing this petition talking about. It's gone. It went away," he said.
The petition will now go before the state alcoholic beverage commission for review. Opponents can still appeal the ruling.
In other business, the ABC approved:
• A dealer permit renewal for Service Liquors, Warsaw.
• A retail beer, wine and liquor renewal and Sunday sales renewal for ViewPoint Restaurant, Warsaw.
• A retail beer and wine permit renewal for Pizza King of Syracuse.
• A retail beer and Sunday sales renewal for Raccoon Run Golf Course, Warsaw.
• A retail beer and wine and Sunday sales renewal for Garretts Sports Saloon, Mentone.
• A beer, wine and liquor retailer renewal and Sunday sales renewal permit for Wawasee Bowl.
• A beer, wine and liquor dealer renewal for Pierceton Discount Package Store.
