Spiritual questions: Gulf Gate Village discusses alcohol sales regulations

Located near the intersection of U.S. 41 and Stickney Point Road, Gulf Gate Village is known as a hub for restaurants, bars and shops.

Near the north end of the compact commercial district, a 1,285-square-foot church has reshaped the way businesses in the neighborhood can operate, prompting officials to reconsider county regulations and sparking a debate among merchants.

Mark Solorzano said he found out the hard way. Solorzano wanted to move one of his businesses, GG Hookah Lounge, into a larger space across the street. He had a lease signed and was prepared to operate with a full liquor license — until he found out the presence of a neighbor would prohibit him from doing so.

For about five years, the Superior Word Church has been located at 6512 Superior Ave., next to where Solorzano planned to move. The problem: Per a county regulation established in 1974, businesses are not allowed to sell alcohol for on-site consumption within 800 feet of a church.

Solorzano thought the rule was ridiculous. He said he respects churches, but he saw a clear difference between a bar that wanted to move next to an established church and a church that moved into a district that had a lively nightlife scene. He hoped the county would see fit to change the rules to acknowledge the specific character of Gulf Gate.

“It’s not only insane, but it’s bad for the businesses, it’s bad for the county, bad for the families of people who have employees at these businesses,” Solorzano said.

Other business owners were similarly shocked to find out they couldn’t sell alcohol. Tracy de Chevron Villette, co-owner of The Clever Cup coffee shop, said her customers asked her if she could sell beer and wine. She made plans to extend her hours to 8 p.m. only to discover she couldn’t get the necessary license.

“It’s really upsetting for a small business to lose that sale that can double your business,” she said.

Malin Parker, owner of Screaming Goat Taqueria, said he may have to move his business if he can’t sell beer alongside his food. He said customers are disappointed on a daily basis when he tells them he doesn’t serve alcohol.

“They just turn around and walk out,” Parker said.

County staff worked with Gulf Gate merchants and a variety of churches near commercial areas to consider possible solutions. One option would create special regulations for individual districts such as Gulf Gate. Another would eliminate local regulations completely, instead deferring to the state law that prohibits alcohol sales for on-site consumption within 500 feet of schools.

As the county continued to review the issue after a March 13 commission meeting, opponents of eliminating the distance requirement spoke out. Charlie Garrett, pastor at the Superior Word, wrote a letter lobbying against changes. In the message, he said there are 17 bars within 800 feet of the church.  (The distance restriction only applies to new businesses.)

Garrett said Superior Word moved into Gulf Gate because it was affordable and suited the church’s needs, not intending to reshape the business dynamics in the neighborhood. Still, he argued the intent of the restrictions was sensible. In his letter, Garrett painted area bars and their patrons in a negative light.

“They have often smeared bodily excretions on our windows, banged on our doors and have caused other disturbances,” Garrett wrote. “There is often urine or vomit along the sidewalk.”

Speakers at a May 23 commission meeting urged the board not to eliminate the distance restriction. Commissioner Al Maio said he heard concern from constituents about the potential for allowing alcohol sales closer to churches. The board ultimately backed off its previous interest in eliminating the local regulations, instead trying to strike a balance by restricting bars but allowing food service businesses to serve some alcohol.

Garrett said he would be satisfied with that arrangement, specifically attributing the church’s issues to bars in the neighborhood.

“Restaurants make the place better,” Garrett said.

Although any changes to the regulations must be adopted at a future public hearing, Solorzano was disappointed in the direction the county signaled. He sees Gulf Gate as one of the few options for people who like to go out and drink in Sarasota. He said the area can have bars and still appeal to families, and he bemoaned the potential loss of new businesses focused on alcohol sales.

“If you want to go out, you say, let’s go downtown, to Siesta Key or to Gulf Gate — am I wrong?” Solorzano said. “They’re not going to go downtown, Siesta Key or Gulf Gate to read a book.”

Internal debate

The Gulf Gate Area Merchants Association has declined to take an official stance. Association President Nicole Leffler said there are businesses on both sides of the issue. She’s hopeful any resolution can appease everyone.

Although Solorzano gathered signatures from 15 neighboring business owners who supported the elimination of the distance requirement, other Gulf Gate merchants see the church’s presence as a blessing. County staff said some business owners shared the church’s negative perception regarding bars, attributing issues with litter and unruly behavior to the presence of drunken people and irresponsible property owners.

“Since the church opened and (prevented) more bars from opening within 800 feet of it, there has been a better influx of family-oriented businesses,” wrote Mark and Terry Gunther, owners of Frame it Up, in an email.

According to Garrett, more than 100 people have signed a petition opposing an allowance for more bars in close proximity to churches — including many Gulf Gate merchants.

Even people like Parker and de Chevron Villette, who strongly support changes to the existing regulations, aren’t as concerned about including an exception for liquor sales. For their businesses, beer and wine alone would be sufficient.

Ken Levanti, owner of Sarasota Trophy & Awards, saw merit to both sides. He doesn’t think the area needs another bar, but as someone with a store in Gulf Gate for more than three decades, he sees alcohol service as part of the district. He’s disturbed by the idea that a church can move in and change that.

“What it means to me is anyone with an agenda can open up their own church, or whatever you want to call it, and if you spot those around the neighborhood, you could prevent any future liquor licenses from moving in,” Levanti said.

In addition to potential changes to alcohol sale regulations, the county is also discussing neighborhood improvement plans with Gulf Gate businesses, staff said.

Solorzano challenged the degree to which alcohol sales actually affected the church. According to the church’s website, it hosts Bible study Thursday evenings and weekly services Sunday morning. Solorzano alleged he only sees a little more than a dozen people inside the church when it’s open. 

Garrett said on days the church is not operating, it has let other organizations use the facility, including the East County Republican Club. He said the church typically draws around 25 people for Sunday service, but hundreds more watch online streams. He said allowing a bar next door would prevent the church from holding its evening bible studies and affect other uses.

Jane Grogg, the county’s neighborhood service manager, said the County Commission is scheduled to hold a public hearing on new regulations at a June 13 meeting. Levanti and others hoped the proposed changes attempting to carve out exceptions for food-service businesses would be a workable compromise.

Solorzano, meanwhile, has abandoned his plans to move the hookah lounge, instead focusing on opening a new business in Venice Island. He considers himself fortunate to have moved on while the county is still debating the right balance for alcohol sales.

“Thank God I got that other place and signed that lease, because I would have been waiting like an idiot over here,” Solorzano said. “Wasting money, just because of this place.”

This article has been updated to incorporate comments from Superior Word pastor Charlie Garrett.