Tammy Rena Alazzam

The Chattanooga Beer and Wrecker Board may look at separation of church and state after a 5-4 vote in favor of allowing a grocery store selling beer to operate near a church.

City ordinance requires that any establishment selling carry out beer be more than 200 feet from the entrance to a church or school.

Z&J Grocery, located at 1725 N. Orchard Knob Ave., appeared before the board Thursday after complaints it was located less than the required distance from the Pentecostal Church of God.

Store owner Tammy Rena Alazzam said the church was inactive when she submitted the application, as evidenced by overgrown grass in its lot.

The beer board granted her a beer permit June 19, two days after the church’s electricity was shut off, according to records obtained by the Chattanooga Police Department’s regulatory bureau. Power was restored about a month later.

“If that was a legitimate church, I would not have spent the money that I did to put in this business,” Ms. Alazzam said.

Ms. Alazzam submitted a petition containing more than 10 pages of signatures from residents who supported her store and said they had seen little activity in the church.

Those who live in the Orchard Knob neighborhood expressed concern that removing the business or revoking its beer license would expose residents to more violence if forced to travel to a store farther away in a neighborhood that experiences plenty of shootings.

“A lot of people feel safer going to the corner store,” said Edward Matthews, who has lived in that area for three years. “A lot of people have welcomed (Ms. Alazzam).”

Church members said the church is open at least three days a week and that neighbors don’t see cars parked nearby because people walk to services.

Residents and church members continued to argue loudly outside the City Council building after they left the meeting.

Pastor Evan Settles, who commutes from Atlanta, said electricity to the building was shut off in June and July because the secretary did not pay bills, and that the grass was not mowed because no workable lawn mower was available.

“We never shut that church down,” he said, adding he’d been heading the church for 15 years. “We have no reason to.”

He said he plans to get an attorney and appeal the board’s decision as soon as possible because he does not want beer sold so close to his church.

Members considered whether their votes meant they were deciding the definition of a church.

Phillip Sallee, who voted no, said he didn’t feel qualified to make the decision about what constitutes a church.

City Councilman Jack Benson told the board that it should consider the issue of separation of church and state because a government body was voting on matters involving religion. Ms. Jones said she expects the board to more fully consider that point.