Channahon may reject liquor license
By Jeanne Millsap For Sun-Times Media August 19, 2012 10:46PM
Photo for Channahon liquor license.
Updated: September 21, 2012 6:38AM
CHANNAHON — Aiming to avoid allowing a business to sell liquor too close to a church, village trustees Monday are expected to rescind a new liquor license they created at the last village board meeting held on Aug. 6.
The “Class F,” or full, license was created at the urging of Village President Joe Cook with intent to eventually award it to the owner of Route 6 Tobacco, at 24505 W. Eames St. The business sits next to Family Harvest Church, which has a children’s ministry immediately next to the tobacco store.
The vote to create the license two weeks ago was tied and was awarded only due to the casting of an affirmative vote by Cook. One trustee explained after the meeting that he voted against the license because the establishment was next door to a day care center. The confusion involved another tobacco business, also on Route 6, about a mile west of Route 6 Tobacco.
According to Village Administrator Joe Pena, trustees Monday will vote on whether or not to repeal the ordinance for the liquor license. The village issues licenses based on location, Pena said, and will not let one “lie dormant” with no direct recipient.
“The state requires an establishment selling liquor to be a minimum of 100 feet from a church,” Pena said Friday. “(Route 6 Tobacco) is less than 50 feet to its children’s service entrance.”
Emmanuel “Manny” Rajarathnam, owner of the tobacco shop, on hearing the news that he might not be awarded a license after all, said he might not be able to continue to operate selling only his current merchandise line.
