Kim Ledford urges county to retain 750-foot buffer for beer sales near schools and churches

Kim Ledford urged the Bradley County Commission during public comment to maintain the current 750-foot distance requirement for beer sales near schools and churches and said she opposed reducing that buffer to 185 feet.

The comment was made at the Feb. 24 work session and was entered into the record as a public comment; the transcript does not record any reply from the commission or staff during the session. Ledford framed her appeal as a community-safety concern tied to the proximity of alcohol retailers to schools and houses of worship.

The work session transcript does not identify a formal proposal, ordinance number, or who proposed a reduction to 185 feet; it records only Ledford’s opposition to such a reduction and her request that the existing 750-foot rule remain in place. Because no ordinance text or governing-code citation was recorded in the session transcript, the legal basis for the 750-foot requirement and any proposed change is not specified in this record.

If county staff or a commissioner later places a formal ordinance or amendment on an agenda, the commission would need to provide staff analysis, legal citations, and a public hearing before any change to the buffer could be adopted.