Clarksville could limit future liquor stores

CLARKSVILLE, Tenn. (WKRN) — A Clarksville councilwoman would like to see a pause before adding any more liquor stores to the area, citing concerns over DUI crashes and safety.

On Thursday, Ward 6 Councilwoman Wanda Smith discussed her proposal at the council’s executive session. Smith told News 2 that she plans to postpone her ordinance at the next city council meeting. However, she added that she hopes to reintroduce the measure in September.

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Currently, Clarksville has 13 licensed liquor stores with one license still pending. Smith has asked the council to pump the brakes before adding any more licenses and to evaluate if additional stores would benefit the city.

“Let’s evaluate this,” Smith said. “Are there good qualities in opening more liquor stores? What are the pros what are the cons?”

Smith recently reviewed DUI numbers with the Clarksville Police Department, which showed 554 DUI violations in 2023, including five DUI-related fatalities. Between January and May 2024, the department reported an additional 218 DUIs, including 2 DUI-related fatalities. Smith said some of these crashes have involved young people and teenagers.

“I get upset every time I see another teenager that has lost their lives because of alcohol. I’m hurt because it was an early death,” Smith said. “There’s a lot of things that are going on that we as legislators can stop. We just have to make the right choice to do the right thing.”

Although Ward 9 Councilmember Karen Reynolds told News 2 that she appreciates the sentiment behind the ordinance, she’d rather focus on where liquor stores are placed.

“My concern is that we don’t allow them to be concentrated into our lower income or vulnerable communities,” Reynolds said. “I’m also concerned if we concentrate them that we would push out being able to attract a grocery store because many of these areas are also food deserts.”

Managers at one store, 931 Liquors, said that they support the pause from a business perspective as they do not want to see the market become oversaturated.

“I get we’re growing exponentially but i think the more time we have to evaluate the situation the better before we just jump in to adding new license,” co-manager Wyatt Nicholson said.

Smith said the suggestion for this ordinance did come from a liquor store owner. Ward 2 Councilwoman Deanna McLaughlin said the business owner was unwilling to give up one of his two permits. Smith said the business owner did wish to keep his stores open due to the amount of money he had invested in his business.

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