It will be easier for a business that doesn’t offer food to serve up a beer in downtown Clarksdale after action by the city’s board of commissioners Monday.
And downtown revelers will be able to enjoy free Wi-Fi thanks to a boost from the city.
In a unanimous decision, the four commissioners approved an amendment to Clarksdale’s zoning laws allowing a business to sell beer without having to serve food.
The change allows for outside consumption at businesses in the highway commercial zone of State Street, as well as the downtown district, which runs from First Street to MLK Boulevard to Desoto Avenue and back to Sunflower Avenue.
“It’s not like they are going to be walking up and down the streets,” said Lafondra Johnson, the city’s zoning administrator.
She said city law still governs open containers.
While the change wasn’t spurred on by any one business’s request, Johnson said it could mean more business downtown.
“We’re trying to open up the doors where it could generate new business in the downtown area,” she said.
Back in 2010, the city passed a zoning ordinance that required businesses that sold beer to have a certain percentage of their sales come from food. Those businesses that were already in place at the time – such as Red’s Lounge and the New Roxy – were allowed to continue their beer sales without having to meet the food regulation.
Robin Colonas, owner of the New Roxy, said she was in favor of the change and said it seemed to be more of “a housekeeping issue.”
“It certainly will make it easier for a business that opens to do what people here were already doing,” she said. “We would love to do liquor. It’s a whole different source of income.”
But state law strictly enforces what businesses are allowed to sell liquor – which includes wine – in Mississippi.
Currently, a good number of businesses with beer permits in Clarksdale allow customers to bring in their liquor and wine, or “brown bag” it. The business is allowed to charge a “corkage fee” or they can offer “really expensive ice and soda,” Colonas said.
Free Wi-Fi coming to downtown
One thing that wouldn’t carry a fee is free Wi-Fi in the downtown area, which is an initiative pushed by Clarksdale Revitalization Inc.
The project proposal submitted by CRI says the service would become a key marketing tool to attract local visitors, tourists and new businesses, particularly those emphasizing technology, innovation and creativity.
For its part, the Clarksdale board of commissioners unanimously agreed that the city would provide the power and pole attachment fees for the project. Clarksdale Revitalization would handle all equipment purchases and maintenance.
The hope is to start a pilot project to test public Wi-Fi in the downtown area. Afterwards, a second phase would include the construction, operation and maintenance of a network delivering Wi-Fi coverage to select downtown areas.
The city’s cost in the pilot portion of the project would be an estimated XXXX per month, or XXX per year. That figure would increase to XXX monthly and XXX annually in the second phase.
The pilot part of the project has an estimated $1,500 price tag. It is expected to cost around $14,500 to set up the full project. The cost of an internet provider would be $12,000 to $18,000 per year.
In other news, the board:
- Approved the planning board’s recommendation regarding a piece of property along South State Street next to the Wendy’s restaurant. Johnson said the property owner Fast Paced LLC has hopes of developing the property and building an urgent care facility on the site.
- Gave its approval to the demolition of a property at 1748 Evans St. The property owner had been granted a six-month extension in July 2017, but code enforcement officers said no work had been done to the house and they recommended demolition.
- In a similar matter, the board agreed to wait on a demolition decision regarding a property at 2104 Seventh St. The property owner had been granted a six-month extension in August 2016 to clean up the property.
- Unanimously agreed to appoint Jacqueline Tyler to the Carnegie Public Library Board. She will replace Jennifer Levingston, who had served the maximum two terms.
- Accepted the retirement of longtime city police officer Mark Haynes, whose final day was Wednesday.
- Watched as owner John Ruskey of the Quapaw Canoe Company and his employees presented a check in the amount of $830 to the Clarksdale Police Department. The donation was half of the money Quapaw earned during the recent Juke Joint Festival from people camping along the Sunflower River.
- Heard Mayor Chuck Espy direct the city’s public works department to gravel an alley in the 500 block between Ohio and Illinois streets, as well as an alley behind Pearson Street. They expect crews to start work later this week.
