The SLA issued Advisory 2022-26 concerning liquor and wine stores. There were a few significant points in the Advisory:
- Double doors with less than an 8” center post separation will be considered a single entrance. Since wine and liquor store premises can only have a single public entrance (unless there is a side parking lot), this allows more commercial spaces to qualify to be used for liquor and wine stores.
- A second “side entrance” is permissible if it leads directly to a side parking area with five or more parking spaces.
- When measuring the 200 foot distance to schools and churches, the meeting of the doors (or center post if there is one) is where the measurement shall be taken from.
- Protective gates, screens or covers over exterior doors may be used only when the business is closed. The doors and windows must have clear visibility to the interior when the business is open.
- “Delivery only” or “fire exit” rear doors will not count as public entrances provided that:
- The door is locked from the inside (but can have a panic bar)
- There is no exterior hardware or door locks
- The door is barred from public use and used only for deliveries or emergencies
If you wonder how this Advisory might affect you, contact Tracy Jong and her team at Evans Fox. Put our years of experience and our current understanding of the ever-changing rules and policies of the SLA to work for your business.