Pool tables, beautification top of business matters
Published 5:00 pm Saturday, December 10, 2022
BROOKHAVEN — Rally’s celebrated its opening with a ribbon cutting ceremony Wednesday morning. Brookhaven mayor Joe Cox, Jillian Ricceri and Katie Nations with the Brookhaven Chamber of Commerce, Randy Hayes and Tim West with West Quality Food Service were present for the ribbon cutting.
Other business news for the city came from Brookhaven’s Board of Alderman meeting Tuesday night. Tuckers Spot, located at 990 Old US51 NE, had a beer permit approved to sell beer for consumption based on the recommendation of Police Chief Kenneth Collins and Fire Inspector Stanley Dixon.
Aldermen voted to extend the portable building moratorium for another 60 days. Don Underwood, Alderman at large, made the motion and urged his colleagues to do something by then.
Brookhaven’s board voted to add language to an ordinance for the C-2 Central Business District ordinance. This language allows for “any current or future restaurant with a valid city permit meeting all of the state certifications for which the business is conducted shall be allowed three tables upon which the game of pool is conducted.”
Pool tables are not outlawed outside of the central business district.
Ward 4 Alderman Jeff Henning said he asked the board about making a change to the language. Brookhaven had passed the ordinance to prohibit a pool hall in downtown but he said it wouldn’t hurt anyone to allow for pool tables in a regulated space. They are found in restaurants on Beale and Broadway Streets, Henning said.
“I just did not see what the big deal was having one in your restaurant or having one in a sports bar downtown if someone was to open one,” Henning said. “We were just giving them an ability to do so. Restaurants are defined as having 25 percent of their gross receipts coming from food sales. If someone opened up a sports bar or restaurant it could be a good place to have pool tables.”
Ward 6 Alderman Andre Spiller asked the board if they could form a beautification committee for the city. They voted unanimously to do so at the next meeting in January.
On the same tracks of beautification, Fearn asked alderman to select dilapidated properties from a list he provided them. He said he would like to have a public hearing to address these homes on Jan. 3, 2023 at 5:30. His request for a public hearing was approved by the board.