ASHLAND – A proposal to create two new districts in Ashland would make 30 new liquor licenses available and help spur retail expansion.
Ashland Area Economic Development Director Kathy Goon outlined the plan for Ashland City Council Tuesday night. Goon is recommending the creation of a Community Revitalization District in downtown and a Community Entertainment District for the East Main Street corridor. She said creating the districts would make an additional 15 liquor licenses available in each district for potential new restaurants.
“There have been some restaurants that were looking at the area out on (U.S.) 250 but because of the lack of liquor licenses, they couldn’t get a liquor license so they couldn’t pursue investment here,” Ashland Mayor Duane Fishpaw said.
The proposed downtown Revitalization District is bordered on the north by Ashland Railway, on the east by Miller Street, on the west by Orange and Broad streets, and on the south by a zig-zag boundary that runs along Washington and Walnut streets, College Avenue and Jefferson Street.
“We didn’t feel as though Claremont needed to be revitalized right now. We felt it was more important to get those opportunities in the downtown area because everyone wants more restaurants downtown and nine times out of 10 they need a liquor license,” Goon said.
“Everyone wants to have extra liquor licenses because you’re not voting for the booze, you’re voting for extra food. You’re voting for the restaurants. Even if you think about all the restaurants we would like to have here – Olive Garden, Outback – you may not go there to drink, you’re going there to but they serve liquor and they need liquor licenses,” Goon said. “It’s not going to be a whole line of bars downtown. We don’t want that. We want restaurants.”
Although part of the proposed Revitalization District includes residential areas, Goon reassured residents that current zoning would take precedence over the district’s designation.
“If it’s in a residential area, you’re not going to have somebody getting a liquor license for a business that isn’t allowed be there,” Goon said.
The East Main Street Entertainment District is bordered by George Road on the west, East Main Street on the north, Interstate 71 on the east.
According to Goon, the thought behind forming the districts is to create a downtown destination of unique restaurants, breweries and specialty boutiques, and to have an area along East Main Street of high-end restaurants, hotels, shopping and entertainment.
The next step in the process of forming districts would be for city council to post legal advertising announcing a public hearing. Following a hearing, council then would be able to take action to create the districts.
