In about four weeks, Hayden residents will vote on whether to legalize alcohol sales within their far-flung city limits.

A petition seeking a wet-dry vote was presented in October, and was certified as having enough valid signatures in early November.

If approved by voters, retail establishments would be allowed to sell alcoholic beverages, and restaurants would be permitted to sell alcohol by the drink.

It’s the first time in Hayden’s history that a local option has come up for a vote.

One challenge for city officials is determining just who’s eligible to vote and who’s not. Hayden has seen quite a bit of annexation activity over the past few years, particularly when an area adjacent to Warrior and Interstate 65 was taken into the town in an effort to prevent Warrior from collecting sales tax within its police jurisdiction, which extended into Blount County at the time.

That area was not annexed by normal parcel-by-parcel requests, but instead by an act of the Alabama Legislature in 2010. Therefore, unlike most municipalities in the state, the Hayden town limits are not contiguous — the town has parts that are not connected physically to one another.

Anita Harper of the Hayden city clerk’s office said that between 700 and 800 residents were eligible to vote.

“We have parcels up near the Cullman and Walker county lines, as well as toward Cleveland by the golf course,” Harper said.

Last June, the Hayden Town Council passed an ordinance in anticipation of a possible wet-dry vote, which established regulations similar to those in other towns in Blount County. One particular restriction prohibits establishments within 250 feet of a church or school from selling alcohol.

The referendum will be held on Jan. 20, with Hayden Town Hall serving as the only polling place.

So far, there are few signs of campaign activity on either side of the issue. Supporters of alcohol sales have set up a facebook page titled, “Future of Hayden VOTE WET.” No opponents have set up any online presence that could be found by a search as of Monday.

The Blount County Revenue Commission Office has a feature on its website that allows residents to determine if their parcel lies within the town limits of Hayden. Go to www.blountrevenue.com, click on “Public Records,” then “Tax Information.” After entering the identification of the parcel, a tax district code will be shown; those with code “03” are eligible to vote in the referendum.

For information about the referendum, call the clerk’s office at 647-7191.