Orange County — Board of Zoning Adjustment

VA-02-03-036 — Tato's Pub

Request: Variance in C-1 (retail commercial) zone to allow the sale of alcoholic beverages (beer & wine) for on-site consumption within 830 ft. of a church (First Baptist Church of Union Park) in lieu of 1,000 ft.

Decision: Denied

Hearing: The applicant stated she and her husband own and operate the business. She told BZA she wants to serve Spanish foods and have pool (billiard) tables. They want to serve beer and wine also. Hours of operation would be 11:00 AM to 2:00 AM. There would be a separate "bar" for the serving of alcoholic beverages in addition to the tables and chairs for food service.. Approximately three dozen people were present in opposition at the public hearing, most of whom were members of the First Baptist Church of Union Park. Two spoke. One speaker was the pastor of the First Baptist Church of Union Park. He stated the church has many children's programs, including an elementary school, a day care center, and a Friday parents' night out. The other speaker was the director for the church's day care program. They felt this request would be detrimental to the children and their parents, particularly with respect to vehicular safety and patrons of the pub driving under the influence of alcohol. The BZA denied this request and notated it does not meet the Variance criteria nor the policies associated with Variance requests of this nature.