Residents of Lakesite, the Town of Lookout Mountain and the Town of Signal Mountain appear headed toward loosening rules about the sale of alcohol according to early returns Tuesday evening.
In Lakesite, the vote was on whether to allow liquor by the drink.
The Lookout Mountain initiative would allow beer sales in grocery stores.
Signal Mountain voted on whether to allow package stores.
Danielle Elks, executive director of the Tennessee Alcoholic Beverage Commission, said the number of cities in Tennessee that permit liquor by the drink has more than doubled in the past 13 years — from 27 in 1995 to 78 in 2008.
“Alcohol is not as taboo as it used to be,” she said. “Since about 1995, you’ve had a lot of people move into the state from other states. You see the opportunities cities have for increased revenues for liquor by the drink and retail stores. And I think that just normalization of alcohol since 1995 has led to the opinion being changed.”
Even if the Signal Mountain referendum succeeds, however, there is no guarantee a liquor store will open. The town’s zoning laws do not permit liquor stores, according to Town Manager Honna Rogers, and anyone wishing to open a liquor business would have to appear before the city Planning Commission to request a change in the law. No one has expressed an interest, she said.
Liquor votes
Lakesite
(On-premise consumption)
With 7 of 9 precincts
Yes: 136
No: 108
Lookout Mountain
(Sales for off-premise consumption)
With 7 of 10 precincts
Yes: 314
No: 45
Signal Mountain
(Retail package stores)
With 7 of 10 precincts
Yes: 1,180
No: 596
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