LDS Church refuses alcohol waiver

The LDS Church is complicating a popular valley restaurant's plans to set up shop in downtown Logan, Utah.

The Iron Gate Grill, operating in Providence, Utah, since 2000, hopes to open a new location at 155 Church St., but the church won't give its consent for the restaurant to serve alcohol.

In Utah, booze-serving bars and restaurants located near churches — within 600 feet via streets and sidewalks or 200 feet in a straight line — must receive those churches' blessing to serve alcohol. The prospective Iron Gate Grill location is a little more than 200 feet north of the edge of the LDS Tabernacle grounds in downtown Logan.

St. John's Episcopal Church, also located about 200 feet from the prospective location, turned in its waiver months ago. The City of Logan, too, has submitted its required consent.

After being bumped from several Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control licensing hearings this summer while awaiting a response from the LDS Church, the church finally informed the state last week that they will not grant the waiver, said Rob Hansen, a DABC compliance and licensing officer. At the same time, the church is not actively opposing the Iron Gate application.The lawyer representing the LDS Church in the case, John Butler, provided the state no rationale for the church's decision, Hansen said.