APPROVED: Council approves liquor license for Trojan Teriyaki House

Published 9:24 am Thursday, January 25, 2018

The Troy City Council unanimously approved a retail liquor license for Trojan Teriyaki and Hibachi House Tuesday after tabling the request at the meeting prior.

Councilmember Greg Meeks, District 2, said at that first meeting that he would like the council to consider an ordinance that would not allow alcohol to be sold on premises within 500 feet of a church, but said Tuesday that discussion was separate from Trojan Teriyaki owner Amy Hu’s request for the license.

“We just want to have a liquor license to sell beer and sake,” Hu said. “So many customers ask for beer or sake and every time we have to say no. Some customers will leave and some are not happy at all.”

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The council tabled the request in part to ensure regulations to bring the building up to the fire code were met and also to look into opposition from neighboring businesses, including Southside Baptist Church.

Meeks asked Hu to confirm that the regulations were up to speed, which she did, and held the vote on the license. No mention was made of the opposition found when canvassing the businesses. The council did meet in executive session before the council meeting to discuss the agenda item in addition to the $17,000 settlement of a lawsuit with a truck driver that crashed into a city utility pole last week.

In other business, the council also took care of a few items to finalize the recruitment of Kimber Manufacturing, a firearms manufacturer that has promised to bring at least 360 jobs paying at least $12 an hour to the community.

The council voted to change restrictive covenants at the Industrial Park South, where the manufacturer will be located, so that they allow for the manufacture of firearms. They also voted to vacate a utility easement at the site for the company.

“I thank the council for passing these ordinances that complete the Kimber transaction,” said Mayor Jason Reeves. “A lot of people are talking about their expansion down here and I’m looking forward to opportunity that will bring to our community.”

The council also heard from many concerned residents including residents of Heritage Ridge opposed to the location of Conecuh Ridge Distillery near their neighborhood and the Ministerial Alliance seeking to bridge a gap between law enforcement and the community.