Gainesville Council upholds Green Street sign change

GAINESVILLE - Gainesville City Council members dealt with signs on two fronts Tuesday night during their regular session.

First they congratulated 5-year-old Walker Moffett for creating the best overall poster in the annual safety at work contest for city employee children as part of National Safety Month, as well as all the other young contestants.

Then they voted to uphold an appeal of a denial from the Gainesville Historic Preservation Commission of a sign on Historic Green Street.

Businessman Jim Walters said he was just trying to replace a rundown sign with a better looking one; Commission members James Brooks and Judge William Norton argued the sign was too big and violated the city ordinance.

Norton said the council was overturning its own ordinance that the commission was trying to enforce.

NEW DRINKING RULES

City Council voted 3-2 to update its alcohol beverage ordinance by enacting new state laws that lighten up drinking rules.

Mayor Protem Ruth Bruner said she hopes it will be good for business downtown.


"I think it will help businesses because it gives them more flexibility in what they can offer customers," Bruner said.

The ordinance change provides alcohol vendors a 'happy hour' by reducing drink prices between five and seven p.m. Monday through Saturday.

The amendment also offers more liberal wine consumption and allows for wine tastings and prorated alcohol permit fees on applications filed after July 1st.

Councilman Danny Dunagan's motion to offer afternoon happy hour passed; a motion from Bob Hamrick to limit it to Monday through Thursday failed on a 3-2 vote.

Hamrick and Wangemann voted against the alcohol beverage amendments; Wangemann said Council was steering a course for the city that would 'lead it down the path to becoming another 'Buckhead', a section of North Atlanta known for its night spots.