After tabling its decision for two months, the board of commissioners approved the Little House Winery’s beer and wine license application this week at its monthly meeting. During the meeting, Chairman Bill Simonds said the reason the decision was postponed was the owners did not have a local agent. Now, though, Simonds said that the owners do have a local agent and saw no reason to deny the application, since all the background checks were “in order.”

At last month’s meeting, however, Post One Commissioner Garnett Webb expressed concern with the winery’s proposal. In its proposal, the winery stated it would have live entertainment. Specifically, Webb showed concerned about this aspect of the application and said he would like more time to read over the proposal and investigate the details. During the April meeting, Webb noted that he never received an adequate explanation of the live entertainment part of the winery’s plan.

In voting on the application this week, Chairman Simonds and Post Two Commissioner Larry Joe Sosebee voted for its approval while Webb voted against the measure. Then, later during the commissioner’s comments portion of the meeting, Mr. Webb delivered a statement defending his vote and further describing his discontent with the decision to approve the application.

“It is very obvious that Fannin County is leading into a wide-open, full-throttle expansion of beer, wine, distilled spirits, farm wineries and tasting rooms,”

Webb said. He argued the county has to get back to her “roots,” which the commissioner described as clean, with a great quality if life. He also said he paid a visit to the Little House Winery in Morganton. While there, he said he spoke with people who live in the area who were

“not overly excited about the possible operation in their area.”

Webb’s comments points to the recent requests in the county to sell alcohol on Sunday in various forms and the increase in places simply selling alcohol. Last year, Governor Nathan Deal signed a bill allowing each county and local community to decide whether it would sell alcoholic beverages on Sundays. Shortly following the signage of the bill, Cherokee County, only a few counties south of Fannin, voted to allow Sunday sales. Jasper in Pickens County, even closer to Fannin, recently voted to put a referendum on the July ballot asking citizens if they would allow
the sale of alcohol by the package on Sunday. Pickens County already sells alcohol by the drink in restaurants on Sunday. Also, only a few months ago several Blue Ridge merchants addressed city council, requesting Sunday sales in the city. Most merchants making the request were restaurant owners. Here, their argument was that most who visit Blue Ridge leave on Sunday and before they leave enjoy a drink at a restaurant. Their clientele, they said, consume alcohol responsibly and said they have never had an issue with patrons over-drinking.