The East Ridge Beer Board granted an on-premises beer license to the operators of the Hampton Inn inside the Jordan Crossing development, Monday during its regularly scheduled meeting.

Manager Kimberly Meyers explained to the members of the board that the hotel wanted to be able to sell beer in a small market area near the lobby to its guests. The market area would primarily be used to serve breakfast, she said. 

There was some question about guests being able to purchase beer and drink it in the lobby. Meyers said her staff would discourage such consumption.

“It’s been my experience in the business that guests don’t tend to walk around with it (beer),” she said. 

Meyers said that guests typically purchase beer and take it back to their rooms.

The vote to grant the license was unanimous.

Meyers said their will be a soft opening of the hotel on Thursday, with a Grand Opening scheduled at a later date.

In other business, board member Earl Wilson proposed abolishing the 250-foot boundary that prohibits sales of beer near a church. Wilson said that the existing regulations discourages economic development along Ringgold Road where one beer board member said there are eight or nine churches.

Wilson said he would be in favor of requiring a fence be built on the property line between a business selling beer and a church.

The measure passed 3-0, with Chairman Gregg Shipley abstaining from the vote. The measure must now be approved by the City Council.

_ The East Ridge Planning Commission met Monday night at City Hall and had only two items before it.

The planning commission signed off on a final plat for 10 lots in the Perry Village subdivision on McBrien Road. 

The commission also gave its approval to subdividing a large lot in the 2000 block of McBrien Road, clearing the way for two new houses to be built on the land. It was noted that creating two lots out of one large single lot would conform with existing road frontage regulations.