How do you measure 50 feet? That’s an issue Goldsboro leaders are having to grapple with in the case of Church Spirits and Cocktails.

The owner of the Walnut Steet venue wants to move to a location at 116 W. Mulberry Street, which would put it across from St. Stephen’s Episcopal Church. Kyle Merrett hoped that Goldsboro Counselors would make a small change in rules which could let him move the venue.

City rules prohibit bars, nightclubs, pool halls, microbreweries and places of entertainment with an ABC Permit from being within 50 feet of a church. Unfortunately, figuring out how close a building is to a church is not as simple as grabbing a tape measure.

When city officials measure that 50 feet, they are supposed to figure out the distance as if other buildings and roads don’t exist, so the new location of Church Spirits and Cocktail would be too close to a church but it would be across the street. The church and the bar would be more than 50 feet away from each other because of the width of the road — but the tavern would be too close by city ordinances.

This came up at a Goldsboro City Council meeting where the Planning Department representatives explained that 50 feet as the bird flies is not the same as 50 feet according to the city’s ordinance.
City Counselors spent several minutes trying to understand the problem as they were asked by the Planning Department to edit city rules to eventually allow the bar to request a Special Use Permit to move. Even if the council approved the change, any bars near churches would need a Special Use Permit from the council.

Merritt pointed out his establishment would be closed Sundays and parking would not be an issue.
The city council put off the issue until the April 3rd meeting. The issue of how close drinking establishments and churches ought to be was unresolved, as was the larger question of how to measure 50 feet.

https://www.restaurantji.com/nc/goldsboro/church-spirits-and-cocktails-/

Photo Credit: Goldsboro Planning Dept./Goldsboro City Council Agenda