Duplin Winery seeks town support for liquor permit

ROSE HILL — Dave Fussell, president of Duplin Winery, appeared before the Rose Hill Board of Commissioners at its meeting on April 14 to request that a letter be submitted by the town in support of the winery being granted a liquor-by-the-drink permit. Fussell said the permit is needed for the winery to be competitive with other venues that offer facilities and services for special events, especially weddings.

“We have a lot of competition in (that area),” Fussell said. “One of the reasons we’re not getting so much (wedding business) is because we’re not able to serve liquor by the drink, which is a cocktail. The alcohol content would be about the same as a glass of our wine.”

Angela Smith, Rose Hill Town Administrator, told the board that a letter had been drafted with the help of town attorney Kenn Thompson, and could be signed by Mayor Davy Buckner and presented to the N.C. ABC Commission in support of the permit. The board voted to approve the request with one board member, Perry Tully, abstaining from voting on the issue.

Fussell said future plans for Duplin Winery may include a distillery.

The board delayed a final vote on proposed repairs to sidewalks on Church Street and Main Street in the downtown area to allow for easier access to businesses and a church downtown, as well as to bring those sidewalks into compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act. The bids received for the projects offered options of one or two sets of steps with handrails to access the Church Street sidewalk. If the option of a second set of steps is chosen, it would mean the loss of a few parking spaces in front of the businesses.

The board decided to request feedback from downtown businesses and citizens on which option they prefer before making a final decision.

The board also voted to approve the bids of four contractors to reconstruct homes in town that were selected under a Community Development Block Grant program which awarded the town $950,000 to repair or reconstruct the homes of citizens in need in Rose Hill. The grant will also pay for rental housing for the residents whose homes are being rebuilt while construction is taking place.

Tammy Daniels of the Adams Company, administrator of the grant for the town, said there may be funds left over to possibly help another resident in need of home repairs who meets the requirements.

In other business, the board agreed to hold two public hearings during the May 12 meeting. One hearing will present the proposed town budget for the next fiscal year for public feedback. The other public hearing will be to consider a zoning request for a three-acre parcel of land on Brooks Quinn Road from industrial to residential. Smith told Duplin Journal that the property owners, Carlos Bonilla and Cindy Ferrel, want to build a house on the property.

During department reports, Rose Hill Fire Chief Billy Wilson Jr., who also serves as a town commissioner, reported that the department is now up to 36 volunteers, which is good news considering many volunteer fire departments are struggling to maintain an adequate number of members. He reported that over the past month, the fire department responded to an average of one call a day.