The Habersham County Commission is gearing up for a pivotal discussion at their upcoming Monday night meeting. They will deliberate on the revocation of a business license and have the opportunity to object to a proposed annexation.
Mike Beecham, Director of Planning and Development, has put forth a recommendation to revoke the business license of Good Vibes Event Center Co. situated at 117 Walls Complex Circle in Clarkesville. In a letter addressed to the County Commission, Beecham outlined several violations of county ordinances, primarily stemming from the center’s unauthorized service of food and alcohol on the premises.
According to Beecham, Chakeithia Burtch, the applicant for the business license, was explicitly informed during the application process that serving alcohol by the drink was prohibited at the establishment. Additionally, patrons were not permitted to bring their own alcohol, as per county regulations. Alcohol service is only sanctioned in establishments equipped with a full-service kitchen.
Furthermore, the presence of alcohol on the premises violated code due to its proximity to a nearby church. County regulations dictate that any establishment serving alcohol must maintain a distance of at least 100 yards from a church, a stipulation that Good Vibes Event Center Co. failed to meet, with two churches located within the prescribed limitation.
The two churches located in the shopping center complex are Harvest Bible Fellowship and Latter Rains Congregational Holiness Church.
Beecham consulted with Marcus Hall from the Habersham County Environmental Health office to verify the issuance of permits for food service at the event center. Hall confirmed that no such permits had been granted to Good Vibes Event Center Co., prompting Beecham to inquire about the possibility of an outside food vendor. However, without a food service permit, this option remains unviable.
In light of these multiple code violations, Beecham is strongly recommending the revocation of the business license. The license was initially issued on January 3.
Annexation
In a separate matter, the city of Cornelia has notified the county of an application for the annexation of land adjacent to Elrod Street. The parcel in question spans 28.71 acres and is earmarked for Residential-2 (R-2) zoning by Cornelia, permitting multi-family residential development. However, the current zoning designation by the county is LI-low intensity, which does not align with the proposed development plans.
County staff have recommended that the Commission object to the annexation. It would result in the creation of an unincorporated island, with three adjacent parcels remaining outside of Cornelia’s jurisdiction.
The Habersham County Commission will meet Monday March 18 at 6:00 p.m. in the Jury Assembly Room in the Habersham County Courthouse at 295 Llewellyn Street in Clarkesville.
