October 9, 2019
Neighbors protest Krause’s planned liquor store
‘It looks bad; it smells bad’ they say of council’s decision
BY DIANE NEWBERRY
In response to the city council’s decision last month to rezone part of Krause’s property for commercial use and grant them the city’s last liquor license to build an off-sale liquor store, neighbors of the grocery store showed up to this month’s meeting with a straw petition bearing 101 signatures against the move.
“All of us that live right next to the store are against it,” Mike Kerzmann, Krause’s neighbor and leader of the petition, said at Monday’s meeting. “I thought things moved pretty quick that night from Planning and Zoning (committee) to the council and with that many people against it, at best I think it should have been tabled for discussion.”
The straw petition was done on recommendation by the Secretary of State, Kerzmann said, to attempt to get the council to re-examine the issue before Krause’s got further with construction.
Controversy from the start
Granting Krause’s the liquor license last month had been somewhat of a surprise move by the council. At August’s meeting, David Jeffrey and Jake Lambert had applied for an off-sale only license for a liquor store they wanted to build. It was preemptive and the council asked that they come back to the next meeting more prepared with building permits and contractor possibilities.
Krause’s came prepared to the September meeting. They had their liquor license application, payment, construction plans and contractors lined up. The Lambert/Jeffery partnership also came with everything the council asked of them.
“All of us that live right next to the store are against it,” Mike Kerzmann, Krause’s neighbor and leader of the petition, said at Monday’s meeting. “I thought things moved pretty quick that night from Planning and Zoning (committee) to the council and with that many people against it, at best I think it should have been tabled for discussion.”
The straw petition was done on recommendation by the Secretary of State, Kerzmann said, to attempt to get the council to re-examine the issue before Krause’s got further with construction.
Controversy from the start
Granting Krause’s the liquor license last month had been somewhat of a surprise move by the council. At August’s meeting, David Jeffrey and Jake Lambert had applied for an off-sale only license for a liquor store they wanted to build. It was preemptive and the council asked that they come back to the next meeting more prepared with building permits and contractor possibilities.
Krause’s came prepared to the September meeting. They had their liquor license application, payment, construction plans and contractors lined up. The Lambert/Jeffery partnership also came with everything the council asked of them.
