SPARTA, MO — A husband and wife team bought the old Sparta Senior’s Place building from Cory Smith in December with high hopes of opening a brewery-based business there.
But one Sparta Alderman threw a fit. “No liquor license!” he stormed.
To get his way, and prevent the new business venture, Alderman Jarrett Iorg took matters into his own hands (or, his own measuring tape) and measured the distance from a preschool to the old Senior’s Place building on Main Street. “Aha!” he said, with a gleeful look, “it’s TOO close to a preschool for a liquor license! Hehehehehe!!!”
He skipped off to City Hall with his measurements and gleefully told the story, doing his very, very bestest to convince fellow aldermen of his righteousness.
Iorg goes around the law…
The state allows for 100 feet between an establishment with a liquor license and a school. The city of Sparta has increased that amount to 300 feet. Iorg took it a step further to go around the law, because the state law says from building to building, but Iorg measured from property line to property line so the distance would fall UNDER 300 feet so he could get his way.
He jumped up and down enough to rattle the aldermen, and one of them was absent at the meeting when the decision was made to deny the liquor license.
Business owners Bill and Debra Brewster put in a ton of work and money, a new floor, a new kitchen, with capability of a restaurant, improved stage for karaoke and other public entertainment. Their hard work and planning to make Sparta a better community was sidelined by a local 78-year-old alderman with a personal vendetta against anyone selling alcohol for consumption!
What do y’all think?
Me? I’m an entertainer, a member of the Springfield Improv, and I live just down the road from Sparta in lil’ ol’ Oldfield, and I say we go back to city hall, get a petition, whatever it takes, and help these people get a fine new business for Sparta! This town needs it and wants it! Don’t let city hall beat you!
What say you, citizens of Sparta?
Based upon what I read in your article, I think what that man did was wrong. On the other hand, I wish the new owners had done their due diligence before they bought it and spent money fixing it up. What is the actual address of the place they bought? I’d like to see its location. This isn’t the type of establishment I would frequent but if it looks like a good location for that type of business, I’ll help by attending a meeting. Like you, I hate unfairness.