A ballot measure in Grapevine, if passed by voters in the upcoming election, would allow liquor stores in the city, and local officials and residents are debating the pros and cons of the measure.
The local option election was placed on the ballot after a petition, which had the financial backing of Total Wine & More, was circulated in May by Taylor Petition Management, a company hired by the retailer.[totalpoll id="193655"]
Some officials and business owners are worried that allowing liquor stores would take away from Grapevine’s family-friendly reputation and that stores could potentially hurt the city’s plethora of wineries and tasting rooms.
“[City officials] have spent years trying to promote Grapevine as a family-orientated community, and we think this will interfere what we’ve been able to achieve over a long course of time,” Grapevine Mayor William D. Tate said. “[Liquor stores] want to take advantage of our tourism and what we’ve done for years in promoting our wineries and tasting rooms. This would negatively affect our little mom and pop tasting rooms. I hope the people of Grapevine defeat it.”
Tate also said he is against the measure because the petition to get the measure on the ballot was circulated by Total Wine & More and not by residents.
The Grapevine Chamber of Commerce has not taken a position on the measure, but CEO Radonna Hessel said she would be surprised if it did not pass.
“There is already liquor [sold] in and around the community, so I do think it’s going to pass,” she said. “While I do have concerns about the number of stores and how some might look, I know that if the store doesn’t have high standards it won’t last here.”
A political action committee, Grapevine Family PAC, formed in June in opposition to the measure.
Since the PAC formed, Treasurer Michael Morris Sr. said members have met with churches and school officials to talk about the upcoming proposition.
“What we are trying to do is get to families and the community as a whole and present the facts to them because there are a lot of misconceptions out there,” he said. “If this does not pass we are not going back to Prohibition—nothing is going to change.”
Local control of stores’ locations
Tate, along with council members Sharron Spencer and Mike Lease, said they are against the measure because the city would have little control on where a liquor store could be located.
“The city has basically no control,” Tate said. “It can go as a matter of right on any property that’s zoned commercial, which means it can be within 300 feet within a school or a church, and we can’t stop it.”
Spencer said council cannot control the caliber of the stores either.
“We could wind up with a liquor store on Main Street with burglar bars on the front, or there could be a liquor store out in the front of Grapevine High School on Highway 26,” she said. We could have a very classy liquor store, but we are going to get the bottom-feeders, too. And that’s what is so disturbing.”
Although Total Wine & More officials have not confirmed any potential locations for a store, Tate said the retailer is looking at a building on Northwest Highway close to Southlake’s city limits that formerly housed an Albertsons.
Grapevine resident Linda Broom said the potential location is the reason she is in favor of the measure.
“To allow liquor stores to come into Grapevine—especially on that corner where Total Wine is considering—it would totally revitalize that corner and other restaurants and businesses would come into that area,” she said. “I think that would be great economically for the city of Grapevine.”
Financial impact of liquor stores
Lease said the addition of liquor stores would have a minimal impact on the city’s revenue.
“The consultants speculate that the sales tax revenue would be so minor from liquor stores [at about] $4 a year per person,” he said. “One store in the mall would turn in that amount of money in 10 days.”
Debi Meek, owner of Bermuda Gold & Silver and member of the Historic Downtown Grapevine Association, said she is against the measure.
“[Liquor stores] talk about sales tax revenue, but our City Council has just lowered our ad valorem tax [rate] by 12 percent, making it one of the lowest in the state of Texas. So we are already sitting really well.”
Meek said the consensus of the merchants is: “We have done, and we are doing very well without this proposition. We don’t need, and we sure don’t want it.”
