Pearland Voters to Consider Overturning Liquor Law

PEARLAND, TX -- Last year's efforts to overturn the city’s restrictions to sell alcohol may have fallen flat, but a group of local citizens and business leaders are working with a private consulting firm to get that overturned on election day,.
A private consulting firm, which was contracted by Maryland-based Total Wine and More, successfully petitioned the city for a local option election to be placed on the Nov. 8 ballot, which if it is passed, will allow businesses to sell alcohol for off-premise consumption only.

“Folks were very willing to sign,” Tim Reeves, vice president of The Eppstein Group told Community Impact News.

Pearland strictly regulates the sale of alcohol, and only allows businesses that have a food and beverage license from the Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission to sell mixed beverages.

However, alcohol sales cannot exceed food sales, according to TABC.

The restrictions have for years, hampered the business of liquor stores, which are forced to do business just outside city limits.

As a result, many petitioned for a local option election

To place the measure on the ballot, employees from The Eppstein Group went door-to-door collecting signatures.

The firm collected 8,004 of the required 7,038 valid signatures by July 21, according to documents filed at the city secretary’s office.

But even if voters approve the ballot measure, liquor stores could face tough local regulations.

Council members have moved quickly to update the city’s development code in time for the election.

City Council is amending its zoning ordinances to include a special permit for liquor stores seeking to open in Pearland.

The permit could attach restrictions on location and design.

Council members performed the initial reading of the new ordinance during the Oct. 10 public meeting. City Council is expected to vote on the new ordinance Nov. 21.

“The idea is that we’ll vote on it and have that decided before the election comes through. So the zoning is in place already, and we won’t delay anyone’s development if they get started,” Pearland council member Trent Perez said. “We’re giving the maximum opportunity for the citizens of Pearland to voice their opinion for one, if they want to have it at all, and two, whether they want to live next to that use.”

Voters in the City of Tomball had a similar measure on the ballot in 2014 to overturn a liquor law that had been in place for 70 years.

That measure was successfully passed by voters.

Pearland voters tried to loose alcohol restrictions in 2007 and voters approved the approved beer and wine sales for off-premise consumption and the consumption and alcohol sales in restaurants.

Last year, members of Leadership Pearland petitioned the city to allow for mixed beverage sales in an attempt to draw more businesses and boost the city’s nightlife, but Leadership Pearland failed to collect enough signatures.

Members of Leadership Pearland formed a political action committee, called Pearland Citizens for Economic Freedom to petition the city a second time for mixed beverage sales in late 2015.

But the petition failed, falling short by about 2,000 signatures by the January deadline.

Seth Thompson, co-chairman of Pearland Citizens for Economic Freedom said he is to see these changes and that the PAC has no immediate plans to petition for bars and other alcohol establishments for on-premise consumption.
“Pearland is very residential, and we would like to get more commercial development. Lifting the restrictions would allow for more nightlife options,” Thompson said. “We’re the third-largest city in the Houston
area, and we’d like development like that as well.”

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