Williamsburg City Council considering amendment to alcohol ordinance

The City of Williamsburg is preparing for a possible amendment to its alcohol ordinance that would expand hours of sale for certain businesses, such as the soon-to-open Cumberland Mint Gaming Hall.

A first reading of the amendment was presented to the Williamsburg City Council during a special-called meeting Tuesday evening via Zoom, where Mayor Roddy Harrison provided details on the proposed changes. According to Harrison, the amendment would only apply to businesses that hold a non-quota type 1 license—or NQ1.

Kentucky state statute classifies only a few specific business types that can qualify for an NQ1 license, which include the following: a convention center or convention hotel complex, a horse racetrack, an automobile racetrack, a railroad system, a commercial airlines system or charter flight system.

Currently, alcohol sales are permitted at all business types between the hours of 6 a.m. and 12 p.m. daily. With the proposed amendment, businesses holding a NQ1 license would see their hours of sale expanded to nearly 24 hours a day. Specifically, the changes would allow for sales at such businesses between the hours of 6 a.m. to 5 a.m. daily.

“They’ll quit serving to restock and clean and things like that, but pretty much on the weekends they’re around the clock,” said Harrison. “Their hours of operation at the Mint are going to be almost 24 hours a day, so they were asking for extended hours for serving alcohol.”

While the amendment would only currently benefit the Cumberland Mint Gaming Hall, Harrison noted that he has received interest from other businesses that could qualify for such a license.

“Yes, this is mainly for the Mint, but…I have been called by a hotel chain that was looking into selling alcohol to people that are staying there,” said Harrison. “If you got a traveler that may come into a hotel at midnight, this would allow them to buy some alcohol to take up into their room.”

A first reading does not require a vote, though a second reading does. A second reading of the amendment will be held during a special-called meeting Thursday, where it will be put before council members for a vote.

The council was also presented with a proposition Tuesday that could see the City of Williamsburg deeding city-owned property to a local business to incentivize the business to keep their operations within city limits.

Harrison informed council members that Renfro Supply, which is currently located at the corner of S. 5th St. and Pine St., is looking to expand their operations and need more space to do so. The owners of the business have been weighing their options on how to make such an expansion work, according to Harrison, which also included closing their current operations and moving the business entirely.

“Renfro is wanting to get into more things, add more jobs, diversify, you know, the whole nine yards,” said Harrison. “They’re busting at the seams at their old place. They need a bigger space.

“They came to me saying they were probably going to have to look somewhere to expand and I said, ‘Well, wait a minute. We got a piece of property. What if we give you that piece of property—deed it to you—you can expand that way and stay in the City of Williamsburg with your expansion.”

The property in question is located off Savoy-Clear Creek Rd. next to Calvary Missionary Baptist Church.

“They need about seven acres and that’s what we have,” said Harrison.

However, there are some requirements under state law that—called determinations—that must be met in order for the property to change hands.

The chief determination discussed Tuesday is that Renfro Supply would be required to start building on the property within two years of it being deeded to them, though Harrison said that the business owners had already indicated they would like to begin work even quicker than that, if possible. If no construction has begun within that time, the property would revert back to the city.

Harrison also noted that even if the property is given to Renfro Supply, they would continue to maintain their current building and operate it as normal.

Renfro Supply has been in business in Williamsburg since 1922.

No vote was necessary Tuesday. The determinations will be presented to council members for a vote and adoption at Thursday’s meeting, which will also be held via Zoom.