JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – A new zoning ordinance introduced at City Council this week may allow a new restaurant or bar on Hendricks Avenue, and alcohol sales would permitted just steps from a nearby church.
Ordinance 2025-246, introduced by the Land Use and Zoning Committee, would rezone a 0.12-acre parcel at 2107 Hendricks Avenue, between Alford Place and Mitchell Avenue in Council District 5. Right now there is an empty lot between South Jacksonville Presbyterian Church and The Hendricks at San Marco apartment building.
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The rezoning would allow restaurants, commercial, and office uses, including the sale and service of all alcoholic beverages—liquor, beer, and wine—for both on-site and off-site consumption, without having to obtain a waiver from the city’s minimum distance requirement for liquor licenses near churches.
The application aims to amend Section 656.805 of the city’s ordinance code, which typically prohibits liquor licenses within 1,500 feet of a church without a waiver.
City planning staff and the Land Use and Zoning Committee found the proposed PUD consistent with Jacksonville’s 2045 Comprehensive Plan, stating it wouldn’t negatively impact surrounding development or public health and safety.
The distance requirement exists to help maintain the character of neighborhoods and ensure that places of worship are not adversely affected by nearby alcohol sales.
The proposal is set for a public hearing on May 13 during the full City Council meeting.
