‘We don’t want it period’: Pine Hills residents push back on plan for new liquor store

ORANGE COUNTY, Fla. — Some Pine Hills residents say the last thing they need in their neighborhood is another liquor store.

Several studies, including one from John Hopkins, found a link between the number of neighborhood liquor stores and violent crime. In Pine Hills alone, there are at least 14 liquor stores.

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Winter Park and downtown Orlando combined have three.

The owners of North Star Powers LLC are proposing a new liquor store next to a church and several homes on Clarcona Ocoee Road and North Powers Drive. It’s been denied twice already because it was found to be within 1,000 feet of a church.

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“You can’t have a liquor store within 1,000 feet of a church or school we’re with in 857 feet of that,” Pine Hills resident Eddie Moorer said.

The owners are trying again, appealing the distance the county calculated from the store to the church.

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But neighbors are hoping the building is put to better use.

“Bottom line we don’t want it period,” Pine Hills resident Cheryl Soriano said. “Put something else there that is going to uplift the neighborhood.”

There will be a hearing later this week to decide whether the liquor store can open or not.

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