The private club that State Senator Jeremy Hutchinson wants to open and obtain a private club permit from the ABC to serve alcoholic beverages is within 1000 feet of the Episcopal Collegiate School and their on campus chapel.
Arkansas Code Annotated § 3-4-206 prohibits the issuance of a permit within 1000 feet of a church or schoolhouse property line.
Utilizing the same tool that the ABC uses to measure distances, Google Earth, one can clearly see that the old Packet House Grill is less than 500 feet from the property line of the church affiliated school.
The church affiliated school has a chapel on campus which holds daily religious services which is sufficient to consider it as a church as defined in A.C.A. § 3-4-206.
It will be interesting to see how this plays out. Especially in light of State Representative Julie Mayberry taking on the ABC over permits being issued near daycare centers and the recent announcement that she and other legislators intend to take care of the problem in the next legislative session.
**UPDATE** According to emails we received from members of the Little Rock Board of Directors, Hutchinson and the 1836 gang might be in for a fight when his rezoning request goes before the board in February.
