Wanting to sell liquor on Sundays, ABC Fine Wine & Spirits gets annexed into Winter Haven

Sara-Megan Walsh, Lakeland Ledger
·2 min read
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WINTER HAVEN — There will be a new place to purchase beer and liquor on Sunday in Winter Haven.

ABC Fine Wine & Spirits was officially annexed into the City of Winter Haven by a 4-0 vote of city commissioners on Monday night. Commissioner L. Tracy Mercer was absent from the commission meeting.

The business' owner ABC Properties LTD, under representative Charles Bailes III, filed a petition for annexation with the city on Jan. 15. In completing the form, Bailes listed the reason as, "to allow the opportunity to sell spirits on Sunday." The form was filed less than three months after Winter Haven amended its alcoholic sales laws. In October 2023, the commission approved an ordinance that allows hard liquors to be sold alongside beer and wine on Sundays from 7 a.m. to 2 a.m. Monday for off-premise consumption. Previously, retail stores in the city were only allowed to sell beer and wine on Sunday.

ABC Fine Wine & Spirits on Cypress Gardens Boulevard in Winter Haven has been annexed into the Winter Haven city limits. The store, which bordered the city limits on two sides of its property, asked for annexation after Winter Haven changed its liquor laws to allow hard liquors to be sold on Sunday. In unincorporated Polk County, hard liquor cannot be sold on Sundays.

The Ledger has attempted to reach out to Bailes to further discuss the annexation request, but was unable to reach him.

Polk County last updated its alcoholic beverage sales laws in August 2018. The county's laws allow for the sale of alcoholic beverages as early as 7 a.m. Sunday, but only beer and wine. The sale of hard liquor and spirits is still prohibited in unincorporated areas of Polk on Sundays.

As a result, ABC Fine Wine & Spirits' Winter Haven store has traditionally closed on Sundays.

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The store, at 250 Cypress Garden Blvd., was adjacent to the existing city limits on two sides of its property, forming a seamless boundary. The 0.89 acre property has a taxable value of $893,799, according to city documents.

At Winter Haven's current millage rate of 6.59 mills, this will increase the city's expected annual tax revenue by $5,890.

Sara-Megan Walsh can be reached at swalsh@theledger.com or 863-802-7545. Follow on X @ SaraWalshFl.

This article originally appeared on The Ledger: Winter Haven ABC store can now sell liquor on Sunday after annexation