By Wainwright Jeffers - bio | email
ALBANY, GA (WALB) – Albany City Commissioners once again rejected a businessman's plan to build a liquor store near Albany State University.
Commissioners voted 5 to 2 to deny Alex Rowe's appeal for an alcohol license.
Rowe wants to tear down the dilapidated China Palace Restaurant at Oglethorpe and Radium Springs to build the store.
He meets all the legal requirements, but commissioners say they don't want a liquor store in that area even though several nearby businesses sell alcohol.
Rowe's lawyer may sue the city, that's one reason Commissioner Christopher Pike voted in favor of the license.
"We have a facility that clearly meets the guidelines in the city ordinance but we have said that we're going to deny that. I think that's going to come back to harm the city," Christopher Pike, Albany City Commissioner.
"The sad thing about this decision is that it doesn't seem to be based on what was actually right but whether the city commission felt they could win in a particular law suit," said Christopher Cohilas, Rowe's Attorney.
Rowe's lawyers told commissioners they're giving up $180,000 a year in sales tax revenue the new business could bring in each year.
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