Aug. 18—Brunswick City Commissioners denied an alcohol license request from Family Dollar for a second time Wednesday night.

The company requested the license for a new store at 4420 Altama Ave. Commissioners denied the first request on Aug. 3, saying they wanted the business to meet with nearby neighborhood planning associations because the expansive parking lot at the shopping center is a problem area for local law enforcement, and some worried nearby alcohol sales would make matters worse for residents.

Family Dollar created a public safety plan specifically for the store in addition to a general store security policy, said Dan Wegel, an attorney with law firm Taylor, English and Dumas representing the company, which includes training employees on the city's alcohol sales regulations. A representative also emailed the Magnolia Park and College Park neighborhood planning associations, but they did not receive a response, he said.

Alcohol sales are new for Family Dollar stores, Wegel explained, but the store is not comparable to establishments that sell alcohol for on-site consumption, like bars and restaurants, and as such does not have the same security issues.

"My initial concerns with Family Dollar didn't have anything to do with safety," said Mayor Cosby Johnson. "... My most basic concern is that anyone — for me, and this isn't in any statute and we vote different directions — should meet with the NPAs before opening."

He asked that a representative from Family Dollar go through the city to schedule meetings with NPAs.

When it came time to make a decision, Johnson said he believed any new business should have to go through the NPAs before getting an alcohol license. If the appeal was denied, Correy said Family Dollar could immediately reapply for an alcohol license.

Mayor Pro Tem Felicia Harris seconded Johnson's point, saying a business has some level of responsibility to the communities they operate in. Harris said she did not believe Family Dollar made enough of an effort to contact the NPAs.

Much like the other two, Martin worried about the impact on nearby neighborhoods.

"We're a small town, we're very keen on our neighborhood area," Martin said. "... If you lived here, you'd realize there is no alcohol desert in our city anywhere."

She was concerned about the store selling alcohol until 10 p.m. and noted the large parking lot has been a problem area for the city.

Commissioner Johnny Cason motioned to approve the license, which failed due to lack of a second. Martin made another motion to deny it, which passed 4-0. Cason did not cast a vote on the denial motion.

In other business, commissioners voted to expand the boundaries of the city's Downtown Development Authority. The DDA voted last week to request the expansion to include an area bounded by Norwich Street to the east, Stonewall Street to the west, I Street to the north and F Street to the south.

"With the interest in things along Albany Street, and there's the old Risley school too, an expansion would be logical in this area," said DDA Executive Director Mathew Hill.

Albany Street is the center of a cluster of Black-owned businesses, Hill said, and was in the 1920s and 30s known as Black Wall Street.

Businesses in the DDA's coverage can apply for a variety of grants, low-interest loans and financing and advertising opportunities, Hill said.

Ryan Moore, Golden Isles Development Authority executive director, gave the city commission an update on programs and initiatives. He told the commission that Live Oak Fiber plans to begin in October installing fiber optic cable throughout the county. When complete, the network will provide among the fastest speeds in the nation. He also updated the commission on other businesses coming to the area, including a Buc-ee's travel stop planned for I-95 Exit 42.

He also told commissioners about the Keep Glynn Running program, which aims to help kids and parents understand the career paths available in Glynn County that don't involve going through a four-year degree program. The first group is already engaged in the process of training, he said, and so far it's been a great success.

Tradewinds Industrial Park is one of the authority's biggest assets, both literally and figuratively. It is around 750 acres in total and is near I-95, the Brunswick Golden Isles Airport and the Port of Brunswick. Despite this, the industrial park hasn't had a tenant yet. Moore said the authority has hired a first to market the property and is designing a spec building in an attempt to attract new businesses.

The spec building is also significant, he said, as it's the first one in quite a while.

"I couldn't name the most recent (industrial) building that was built in Glynn County, they're all third or fourth generation," Moore said.

Commissioners also held a second public hearing on the city's property tax rate. The city plans to keep the same rate as in previous years, but was required to advertise a property tax increase due to increasing property values. The News reported in an article in Tuesday's edition that the city's property tax revenue would be $18.77 million, but that figure is the total budget, which includes multiple revenue sources. Commissioners will vote on the property tax rate on Aug. 24.

At the end of the meeting, commissioners voted to enter a closed session to discuss personnel and legal matters.