A local church fights to stop liquor sales from happening across the street. A big decision is made in Lincoln on Wednesday.
The Nebraska Liquor Control Commission votes 2-1 to deny the license for the Tobacco Hut on 62nd & Ames Ave.
Directly across the street from the store is New Rising Star Baptist Church who says traffic from the store already cuts through their parking lot and makes it dangerous for members and children. The church also argued the area is saturated with liquor stores and would make it more difficult to discourage people from alcohol abuse when they can get liquor right across the street.
“I'm just grateful that we were able to get our case across and our point across and give us a little more time to bring healing to our community and start to do some things that will affect some change," said Pastor Jon Lucas with the New Rising Star Baptist Church.
In the last 2 years the Tobacco Hut has been robbed 7 times, and some wonder how many more times that would happen with alcohol sales.
The owner says there haven't been any robberies since they put in a buzzer system. He also said they would install a $25,000 concrete barrier, or lamb's tongue, to keep cars from going east through the church,
"I'm part of the community, I want that to happen but at the end of the day it's a business and I have to make money to survive,” said John Greuniesen, the Tobacco Hut owner. "I've seen a lot of the issues in the area and when I purchased that it was basically to help that area."
The LCC also denied this Tobacco Hut location a liquor license a few years ago because of the Omaha City Council’s and the church’s concerns.
