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Century Denies Variance To Allow Liquor Store
February 23, 2016
The Century Town Council voted 4-0 Monday night to deny a variance requested by Al Ramani of Pensacola to open what Mayor Freddie McCall described as a “whiskey store”.
Ramani said he would invest up to $1.5 million to open the business in a former thrift store location next to a Dollar General on North Century Boulevard. He first told the council that the business would be a convenience store offering beer, but later said it would be a liquor store with a selection including beer, wine and hard liquor. The business, he said, would employ 20 people within a year.
Ramani was forced to seek the variance because his store would be about 300 feet from the nearest church; the town’s ordinances requires liquor stores to be 600 feet or more from the nearest church.
Pictured: Al Ramani requested that the Century Town Council approve a variance that would have allowed him to open a liquor store in the 9000 block of North Century Boulevard. NorthEsambia.com photo, click to enlarge.
Comments
27 Responses to “Century Denies Variance To Allow Liquor Store”
Well, I’m not sure about the liquor store…but it seems with that much money he could open up a place family-friendly, has food, and sells drinks…I’m talking about a bowling alley…maybe with a skating rink attached. Then, parents could go bowling while the kids go skating. If I had that kind of money that is what I’d do…
Century would have bent over backwards if it had been Walmart wanting a variance. And yes Walmart sells alcohol.
The problem with Century is the people lack a collective motivation!, and vision!
And the mayor can’t do it all on his own!!
Mr. Ramini, I suggest you take your investment money and invest it as far away from Century as possible, the local government and apparently the citizens of Century are too busy shooting themselves in the foot to frequent your store anyway. Or you can listen to some, who seem to be having a ball spending your money and think it would be groovy for you to receive “Karma” in return for your investment instead of monetary profit, food for thought indeed.
Hats off to the Town Council. The ordinance also stipulates within 600 feet of a school for good reason. It doesn’t take much research with the Center for Disease Control to understand the effects of alcohol and our youth and that 11% of the nation’s alcohol consumption is by underage drinkers. One method of prevention according to the CDC is to reduce alcohol exposure. There are plenty of vacant lots available in Century and surrounding areas in which the gentleman is free to exercise his right to open a business establishment. But, please, allow our schools and churches to educate our youth and to invest in their future by keeping these buffer zones in place.
Way to go Mayor & Council members!!! There is already a liquor store just down from this location! Why do we need 2? We don’t!
If he wants to do business in Century, he will just pick another spot that does not have restrictions.
Of which they do exist and the town council won’t be able to block.
Even if some parishioners have to walk 601 feet.
Isn’t it interesting that the same people who routinely vote Republican because of the GOP’s hands off approach to business are cheering that government regulations and red tape are interfering with free enterprise in Century?
We don’t need no liquor store in century keep it out.
All the people bashing this man for trying to open a store that will mostly strive is insane. Why would he risk $1.5 million on a store that most likely will not succeed when opening a liquor store would definitely do well?
Hey thanks to the Century council members and mayor…….good job guys.
Rules is rules. Thank you, come again!
I think they are holding out for a Cracker Barrel or a Dillard’s.
Not really judging the town if they don’t want someone selling a product in their town, but these outdated ordinances protecting churches from the sinners is so 1960’s style. “Never want one of them drinking sinners to get too close to your church.” Christian churches need to band together and get these old laws removed.
I for one think we already have enough stores selling booze. Hey Ramani, open up something that truly benefits the people of Century. You could spend that 1.5 million brilliantly and put Century on the national stage for a positive note, and open a homeless outreach center for Veterans, and or homeless families in our area. Or a store that sells non gmo food, or something selling organic goods. Hell, you could get some pretty cool Karma for doing good. Food for thought man.
This is finally some news that is positive for once. I can not imagine the good another establishment selling liquor would do the community. Al Ramani could care less about the people of Century, which is obvious by the type of business he wants to open.
Hey Al Ramani, Spend that 1.5 million on a business that does not so frequently bring grief on too many families across this county, and a lot of other places throughout the entire country. Should someone in Century need some liquor, I have no doubt a good number of other establishment’s can full-fill that need.
This is excellent news. Thank you for following the town’s ordinance which reads: “The town’s ordinances requires liquor stores to be 600 feet or more from the nearest church.” Century has already allowed this before, and look what we have. Do you really think this guy was going to invest 1.5 million? And if he truly wanted to invest that kind of money, why doesn’t he do it in something truly productive like a manufacturing type facility, instead of liquor?
Thank you Century Council! There are enough places in our little town now to buy this kind of item. Many of our citizens have not forgotten what our little town was like back in the 40’s and 50’s and early 60’s and what it took to clean it up. Our younger generation has not idea what it was back then When alcohol was sold in stores, jucks (and some less the fifty apart) and from between the walls of houses through old South Flomaton (now Century). Shootings, stabbings, and throats cut making it just a place for people to come and let it all hang out and act like idiots from a sixty to eighty mile radius. No We don’t need anymore of these business’s (M in Bratt) as Atmore would probably be closer for you anyway. Century needs a better screening out of drugs etc. now lets not just add fuel to the fire.
Thank you Century Council and Mayor Mcall. Century has enough problems!!! Good Job.
We already have a liquor store for one, and it’s not about keeping people from drinking, that’s their own free will, but we don’t need more alcohol to make money or jobs for this town, and in all honesty if I was a tourist the first thing I would want to see in a family oriented town was a place I could take my children into if I’m gonna spend money I’ma do so with my family in mind, like i said we have a liquor store and don’t need another one! There is to much drama and violence that comes from having one in a small town, I lived across from a liquor store in brewton years ago and I can’t even begin to count how many times I saw fights breakout or drunks driving to and from there it’s a safety concern, there are family’s who walk with their children to the grocery store and dollar store where the traffic will be coming and going from that building they are wanting to turn into the liquor store, a person/childs life is not worth a bazillion dollars and jobs if one was to get killed or hurt because of folks not concerned about nothing but getting their alcohol, and I guarantee 98% of the folks in this town will back it up that they don’t want that kind of negative to be first thing we want our town to be known for, if you don’t like it move to brewton or atmore of Pensacola and you can have all the liquor stores at your disposal, you could possibly dream of!
Thank you Century Council for sticking to your values. People sure get upset about their alcohol even though alcohol has destroyed more lives than any other drug in history but by all means, lets open another liquor store. I for one appreciate “small town” attitudes because this world could use a lot more Mayberry’s than Chicago’s . If he wants to invest money then let him open that convenience store so that everyone in the community can benefit. Same amount of jobs and it would provide a lot more “beach supplies” as someone said than a liquor store. He can still tear down whatever he was gonna do with the liquor store and he wouldn’t have to set a precendence by getting a variance. Next thing you know, they’ll want to put a strip club by the high school….just kidding….kinda, but maybe not.
M in Bratt, move to Century & make a difference by having a beach supply store or something else or just Shut Up, I don’t buy alcohol, so that business wouldn’t help me or my kids or the town according to their vote. @ least for now, people will have a drive to think whether or not they need that alcohol, besides they have the bar, if all else fails. Nobody cares about your alcohol opinions.
To be fair churches and schools should Not be allowed to build near any liquor stores or bars.. They can’t just have it one way..
“M in Bratt” said it. And Century will continue to suffer from its own stupidity.
Thank you Century for, Denys Variance To Allow Liquor Store
Typical small town small minded attitude.
Century Town Council; Do you really think your citizens will consume less alcohol because of your actions on this issue? That kind of thinking did not work during prohibition. This investor wanted to invest some real money in your community that would have created jobs while he was building it, and created some permnant jobs when it was completed. He also was going to remove one of the many eyesore dilapidated buildings that now welcome people to Florida. Some of those “tourists” that you keep talking about attracting to Century would probably stop for beach supplies, and could even spend some money in surrounding businesses. Century; you did not stop anybody from drinking in your town, but you did prevent them from spending any money in your town.