Quitman Planning and Zoning Commission voted 5-1 Monday in favor of a special use permit that would allow the sale of beer and wine at the Hitching Post convenience store on E. Goode St.

The store requires a special permit because it is within the minimum distance allowed from a school.

P&Z member Mike Midkiff cast the lone dissenting vote.

The Quitman City Council will have the final say when it considers the P&Z recommendation on Thursday.

The vote followed a closed session, with the commission meeting with the city’s attorney concerning questions of a legal nature about the permit request.

Jayesh “Jay” Gheewala, owner of the Hitching Post, requested the permit due to what his son called “proportionate” business.

Since the store is one of the oldest in town, and also supports various local causes, the family asked the commission to take their longtime presence in the town into consideration when making their decision.

Jay’s son also asked that the store be allowed the permit since the location of the Hitching Post was built in the 1960s, and “the new development was done afterwards, in 1990.”

The application came with much discussion. The commission received two letters from citizens in opposition to the permit’s approval, and David Herring, who wrote one of the two letters, also attended the meeting to speak against it.

However, James Rasco presented the commission with a petition signed by 373 people to allow it.

“I think that it’s a bit of an injustice that he’s not allowed to sell alcohol, when he’s allowed to sell multiple things like vape, cigarettes, multiple things; every other gas station in the area, and local grocery stores, Brookshire’s, they all sell beer and wine…. I think that it would only be fair to allow Mr. Jay and the Hitching Post to be able to sell beer and wine,” he said.

James Attaway, Quitman city administrator, also spoke in favor of the permit and of Jay.

“If I may, I’ll just say…I’ve dealt with Jay on numerous things, and he’s been nothing but a gentleman. I’m very impressed by his business, and what he does,” Attaway said. “I believe the question here is, ‘Is it going to harm anybody,’ or ‘Are elementary school children going to be harmed by this?’ I don’t believe so; I think he could sell beer and wine effectively and safely.”

Other speakers at the public hearing portion mentioned the fact that many people may be choosing other gas stations due to a lack of alcoholic beverages at the Hitching Post.

The debate takes place almost a year after a Tyler business owner was denied a special permit because his establishment was 10 feet too close to a school.