Holy Heineken! In St. Paul, it may soon be OK for restaurants and liquor stores to sell alcohol within 300 feet of a church.

The St. Paul City Council on Wednesday opened a public hearing on proposed changes to licensing requirements for establishments that sell alcohol. Until now, the city has barred itself from issuing licenses to sell within 300 feet of schools, churches or synagogues unless five out of seven council members support the proposal.

Liquor sellers have questioned the constitutionality of banning alcohol sales near religious sites, and noted that some schools and churches have moved into commercial areas where restaurants and other alcohol sellers abound. Under proposed changes to the St. Paul rules, the 300-foot buffer requirement would disappear entirely for religious institutions citywide.

In addition, schools located downtown would no longer be protected from hops. The proposed new rules state that schools within St. Paul’s Downtown Commercial Development District would still have to be notified if a liquor seller plans to move in nearby, and they could petition the city council to block the license, which would require votes of approval from five out of seven council members.

In December, board members with the St. Paul Conservatory for Performing Artists notified the mayor’s office that Gray Duck Tavern had received its liquor license in April 2017 without proper notification to the school, which is located in the same downtown building. The board requested that the city immediately suspend Gray Duck’s liquor license, but the city has shown no rush to comply.