Abingdon Cinemall may be one step closer to serving beer
Thursday, Sep 07, 2006 - 01:19 AM
BY DEBRA McCOWN
BRISTOL HERALD COURIER
ABINGDON ? The Abingdon Cinemall may be one step closer to serving beer.
Cinemall owner Steve Weston met with Washington County School Superintendent Alan Lee Wednesday to discuss 12 conditions that Weston said he will add to his beer license application. The application has drawn some concern because the movie complex is located in a shopping center near Abingdon High School.
"Mr. Weston came and met with me and provided a list of concessions that he felt were reflective of the input that he'd received, both at the board meeting last night and from community members," Lee said. "I'm pretty much passing them on."
Lee said he sent the information to members of the county School Board. The board decided Tuesday night not to take a position on the application until it had more information. If community members object, the Virginia Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control board may hold a public hearing. The conditions deal with separating the alcohol-serving portion of the Cinemall from areas where children would be.
"The School Board has an interest in being certain that children are safe, in being certain that nothing negative impacts them," Lee said.
According to state code, the ABC board can deny a license if the business that would serve beer is near a school or institution and "the operation of such place under such license will adversely affect or interfere with the normal, orderly conduct of the affairs of such facilities or institutions."
The Washington County Education Association also voted Wednesday not to take a stance on the issue, said President Beth Fairbanks.
"From this point forward, I think it will be very smooth, and I don't think there is any more cause for there to be alarm because everyone is protected," Weston said.
Local ABC officials could not be reached Wednesday to answer questions about the application process.
Questions about how the ABC board handles stipulations added to an application were not answered Wednesday by Beth Straeten, an ABC spokeswoman in Richmond.
"We leave at 5 o'clock," Straeten said at about 4:45 p.m.
Local opinion on the issue varies.
Several Abingdon High School students did not sound worried Wednesday afternoon about the possibility of an establishment serving beer near their school.
"I don't think it's a big deal," said junior McKenna Boyd.
A couple of parents expressed some concern.
"I don't think it should be there," said Cordella Vanhoozer, mother of two students at the high school.
She said she's concerned children would be more easily exposed to people who have been drinking.
On the other hand, two local college students were excited about the prospect of the Cinemall serving beer.
"I love the Cinemall," said Jason Osborne, a 27-year-old student at Virginia Highlands Community College. "If they had beer there, that would be an added bonus."
Dedria Whichard, faculty representative to the Parent Teacher Student Association, had other ideas.
"I don't think it's fair unless they have a theater where teenagers can come watch the ball game where beer will not be available," she said. "I don't understand why you can't have a venue to watch sporting events without having to worry about our high school kids being exposed to alcohol."
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