The Town of Camp Verde is looking at the idea of establishing a special entertainment district downtown that would allow businesses to apply for liquor licenses even if they were close to a school or church in the designated area.

In 2010, the Arizona State Legislature passed a measure that allows municipalities to designate special areas as entertainment districts — areas with entertainment, dining, nightlife and other cultural assets. The current proposed district roughly encompasses the downtown Camp Verde area, stretching from Zellner Lane out to just past Frontage Road near the intersection of Main Street and State Route 260.

The entire proposed entertainment district area consists of 0.14 square miles, according to documents from the Town of Camp Verde.

If approved, a special entertainment district wouldn’t affect the regular process for obtaining a liquor license, according to Camp Verde Economic Development Director Melissa Preston.

It would only require a business to apply for a special exemption if it was located within 300 feet of a church or charter school, of which there are a handful in the downtown area.

Even then, a business would only need the special exemption if it was seeking a liquor license that currently isn’t permitted in that location and a location that is within the boundaries of wherever a potential future district is located.

For the full story, see the Wednesday, Sept. 19, edition of The Camp Verde Journal.