LEXINGTON, S.C. — The South Carolina Administrative Law Court has ruled in favor of Navy Yard on Main, a proposed restaurant and biergarten in downtown Lexington, granting the business a license and on-premises permit to serve alcohol.
St. Stephen's Lutheran Church, at 119 N Church St. in Lexington, had objected to the creation of Navy Yard on Main, saying the establishment would be too close to the church and that noisy crowds and live music events would disrupt services and leave trash on church property. Navy Yard on Main would be located at 102 Main St.
South Carolina Law Enforcement Division (SLED), which handles licensing, measured the property and concluded Navy Yard complied with SC law about distance between an a house of worship or school and an establishment serving alcohol.
Part of St. Stephen's case fell apart, according to the court, since the church already shares two common borders with Libby's, "an alcohol establishment that has an outdoor patio for music" and that Icehouse Amphitheatre, at 107 W Main St. is closer to the church and has a larger sound system than the proposed one at Navy Yard.
The order does come with some minor concessions: Navy Yard on Main will have to relocate a non-emergency door at the rear of the building that is closes to St. Stephen's and build a six- to eight-foot fence along the back of the property.
Navy Yard had already agreed to not having live music events on Wednesday and Sunday evenings so as not to disturb church services and Navy Yard and St. Stephen's will work together to minimize noise during church events such as weddings and funerals.