On Tuesday night, the Peoria City Council will consider a request to place a three-year moratorium on new liquor licenses in a three-block area downtown (see map to right for specific boundaries).

That’s what the council will consider. Why this moratorium is being proposed is sketchy. According to the Journal Star, it comes at the request of Deputy Liquor Commissioner Eric Turner.

Turner has gotten numerous requests from business people wanting to open taverns around the hotel area, which is currently home to several taverns, he said Thursday.

But in order to plan for development around the hotel, he said, the city needs to hold off before approving any more taverns. Earlier this year, the council voted down a request to open a tavern at 619 Main St., the former Dungeon Music & Apparel Inc., next to SOP’s.

“Let’s get a plan together before we know what the area should look like,” Turner said. “If someone is going to make this much investment in the city and the city puts up tax dollars, we need a nice area that will spur Downtown development. We are trying to do the right thing.”

So, evidently the city is going to “plan for development around the hotel” and determine “what the area should look like.” And apparently they expect this effort to take three years. Mayor Ardis mentioned elsewhere in the article what they don’t want the area to look like: “We don’t want to stifle new business Downtown, but we don’t want the entire area surrounding the new hotel to be gin joints, with all due respect.” The council communication further states, “The moratorium will not affect the liquor establishments already site approved for the retail sale of alcohol and would not prohibit site approvals for assembly halls or stadiums, hotels or rental halls.”

Is it just me, or does this seem to be an attempt to protect the new hotel’s bar and restaurant(s) from competition? There is no agenda item establishing a process to develop a “plan for development around the hotel.” This plan didn’t go before the liquor commission for a public hearing. This plan has seemingly come completely out of the blue.

Also hard to understand is why the council is concerned about “gin joints” around the new hotel, but doesn’t have any problem allowing a strip club in the same area. They even changed the adult use ordinance to allow it into the area. Now they want to change the liquor ordinance to keep new bars and pubs out. I can’t put my finger on it, but something just doesn’t add up.