The January meeting of the Broad Ripple Village Association (BRVA) Land Use and Development Committee was held at Broad Ripple United Methodist Church on Tuesday, January 24, 2012, at 6pm. Seven items were on the agenda, although two of the petitioners did not show. Six of the seven agenda items were for new alcoholic beverage permits. The Indiana Alcohol and Tobacco Commission auctioned off 279 newly created permits, 99 of them designated for Marion County. The law only restricts the number of these 3-way (beer, wine, and liquor) permits to a county, not limiting to a smaller area such as Broad Ripple. Before these additional permits were released in November, business owners had to bid against each other for a very limited number of permits, often driving the cost to $50,000. The new permits were sold for $1000 each.

Buying a permit does not allow a business owner to sell alcohol. To authorize a permit, the owner attends a hearing of the Alcohol Beverage Board at the City-County Building. That board verifies that all of the legal requirements have been met and that this business is qualified to serve liquor.

While the BRVA does not have any legal role in the approval of a permit, each business operating in Broad Ripple comes before the local committee to explain the proposal and to make commitments to the BRVA to obtain support for the hearing before the Alcohol Beverage Board downtown.

First on the agenda was Scotty's Thr3e Wise Men Brewing Co., located at 1021 Broad Ripple Avenue [H7 on map]. Scotty's purchased the 3-way permit to be used for group projects, not to sell liquor at Thr3e Wise Men. If, in the future, Thr3e Wise Men wants to change from selling only beer and wine to adding liquor, then another hearing would be required. This 3-way permit will replace the 2-way permit currently held.

Next was Fire By The Monon located at 6523 Ferguson Street [C4 on map]. Fire by the Monon is under new ownership and is now open Mondays. This new licence will allow the restaurant to add liquor to the menu.

The Broad Ripple Brewpub, located at 840 65th Street [C5 on map] was next. The Brewpub purchased this new 3-way license for catering only, not for selling liquor in the pub.

Next on the agenda was a restaurant to open in the spring, Public Greens, which will be located at 902 E. 64th Street [D5 on map]. This 3-way license will allow Public Green to serve liquor at the restaurant.

Last on the agenda was The Village Cigar, to be located at 6513 College Avenue [C3 on map] in what was previously 20 Past 4 and More. The Village Cigar will be opened by the owners of Northside Kitchenette and Northside Social. The 25- to 30-seat cigar bar will offer high-end drinks and cigars, along with food catered by the two next-door "Northside" restaurants. In addition to a hearing on February 21 for the alcohol permit, there is also a February 14 hearing before the zoning board for a variance to open a tavern within 10 feet of a residential district.

The next meeting of the committee will be at Broad Ripple Methodist Church on Tuesday, February 28, 2012, at 6pm.