Godfrey Votes Down Liquor License For Proposed Business

Village of Godfrey Board of Trustees: Public Safety, Finance, Board Meetings

GODFREY – A liquor license application for a proposed business on Godfrey Road has been rejected amid a lack of available licenses.

Village Board members unanimously voted not to approve a business plan and liquor license application from Sita Raman Inc. at their June 2, 2026 meeting.

This comes two weeks after trustees voted to delay the same item. At the time, Trustee Rick Lauschke requested a professional land survey confirming the proposed business at 6007 Godfrey Road is at least 100 feet away from the nearby Early Childhood Center for Alton Community Unit School District #11.

According to a May 28, 2026 letter from Thouvenot Wade & Moerchen (TWM) Inc., the western property line of the business and eastern property line of the school are 102.5 feet apart.

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When the item came back up for a vote this week, Trustee Mike Fisher said the village doesn’t have any liquor licenses available. Village Attorney Bryan Dooling confirmed the village’s current number of Class A licenses is capped at 22, and to approve this application would require an ordinance amendment allowing for a 23rd license.

Fisher also noted the business likely would not meet the qualifications for a Class A liquor license, the only classification which allows the license holder to add video gaming at their establishment.

Trustees approved updated rules and regulations on liquor licenses and video gaming last April. Among the new requirements are that Class A license holders earn at least 50% of their income from food and beverage sales.

Fisher said the business would more likely qualify for a Class N license, which applies to convenience stores with package liquor sales, but would not allow the business to add video gaming. Only Class N license holders who already had video gaming operations prior to the new liquor ordinance’s effective date on May 21, 2026 are allowed to continue offering video gaming.

Dooling said there is a waiting period of 18 months before another liquor license application can be submitted for Sita Raman Inc.

A full recording of the June 2, 2026 Godfrey Village Board meeting is available at the top of this story or on Riverbender.com/video.

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