HANCEVILLE — After plenty of discussion, the Hanceville City Council this week decided to set aside — at least for the time being — a recommendation from the city planning commission to relax a part of its alcohol ordinance, a sales buffer limitation that already has affected one former local business.

The council took no action after discussing the recommendation, which would have created an exception to the current prohibition of off-premises sales within 400 feet of churches, if the two structures are separated by a four-lane highway.

Had the recommendation been adopted, off-premises sales, offered by local grocery, package and convenience stores, would have become permissible at any store separated by a major highway — like U.S. Highway 31 in Hanceville — from a church, even if that church were directly across the road.

Such a situation, said Mayor Kenneth Nail, already had effected the closure of the Texaco service station on the highway’s east side, since its proximity to a church across the highway made it ineligible to sell alcohol.

“My understanding is that people will not buy that property now, because there’s a church within 400 feet the buffer zone, right across the road,” said Nail. “It’s a tough position to be in, because several of us on the council really worked hard with the people in this community, several years back, to come up with the ordinance we have now.”

Council member Jimmy Sawyer said he opposed altering the existing ordinance, because the document continues to reflect to the community the city’s commitment to regulate alcohol sales before the city voted to go wet in March of 2012.

“There were three present council members, and the mayor, at the time that our ordinance was adopted,” said Sawyer. “…And I feel that, if you change the ordinance, then one change leads to another. People knew what they were voting on when they voted on alcohol in the first place, and if we change it, then we’re saying to them, ‘You’re not belong considered in this equation anymore.’”

By taking no action, the matter will appear once more on the next regular meeting agenda. If the council takes no action at that time, it will not come up again at subsequent meetings unless placed back on the agenda by the mayor or a council member.

In other business at its regular meeting Thursday, the council:

Approved the minutes of the June 14 regular meeting.

Accepted the lone bid of $1,001 for a fractional piece of city-owned property, which has not public access, adjacent to a private residence at C.W. Day Park.

Surplussed a 2003 diesel Ford F-250 for sale on govdeals.com, with a reserve set at $3,000.

The next regular council meeting will be held at 6:30 p.m. July 12 at Hanceville City Hall. A public work session will precede the meeting at 6 p.m.