Untitled Texas Attorney General Opinion

“A” ,OFFICE OF THE ATTORNEYGENERAL OF TEXAS AUSTIN I: - -co- -- ._ .~ c 1 :’ ;;. , _- ,’ : ’ .. .. .. “, .’ ._ -- illreotly+OSOM the street in the mi64.l.of a blook before reaohiiing an lnterseotion, ~6 you will note, the yellow line repraaentrrthe aoamement QO~OBD the atnot in the ndd&le of the blook, while the red 11114goes to thr intoras~tlon before oron#l~& 'Pheyellow line meaaurea 195 feet, uh+ the red lln, meanurea 400 ICert+ '8. Vhe~ phyaioal iaots are shorm by map m&ted &hlblt 'B', attaohed her&O. TM quetltlonagaLA- whether the red or the pel- low .llnerepresents th!,proper nethod of measuring the.diataAoe or SO0 feet oalleb for in Seotlon~S5 a)~. 'fhrprlnolpal queatlon under thlr state o! iaotr ir whether you oan measure diagonally aorom 4 street lnterseotlon [as the yellow line lndloatar) or whether yoo\? must o*oes the Inter8eotlon at right angle8 fas the red line doer,~and a# pedeetrianr are requiret3to,do)i Zn this ~QM, ths red llno meaeuree SO1 beet, wale the yellov line ir zm zeet. =8. qhe phy8lo81 faotm ire #horn by the mop attaohea her&o gnd marked~~lblt *o*, Then mat& dormitory mhtwn on thlr plat ir wed by student nur8e8 rho artI in training at Park- laad 3iospitAl~ rho Borpltal 1s looateb on the same traot of &a~6 +th the dormltoiy, but ir a sepurate building. Tha lioospital i# oonriherabky more thrn SO0 isot from the liquor ~4mtabliabmeAt. the Liquor CWdiAaAoe oi the O1t.yor Dslls~ prmlber AI)to~lorrt ~: l**a & & .Or‘& ’ ~romitfeq ~j& & r o vlded fo ua9r r thlr 6hapt-m ahAl& ‘~$ ,0 itme to any aaar or perron en- i gaged In thvib&dUng of eleohol.io hOYOr&gOV~~ dOriAOa ia the %k1M8 ~bP3Or control dbt uher4 the plaoe of~buaineu of m.nymioh doaleC ia VithhidQO feet of ~HoAorab~r Bert Yor4, A&dJd8trator, Pam S MY Ohwoh, *oh001 or other lduo a tlo a a l Inrtltutlon, meamnmenta to be made along the property 11~ of the &root front* and rm8 sront door to front door and IA a ahOOt llna aoroe~ lntereeotlom (8treot) where they ocour# provided, ~hoaerer that thlr provleiort*hall not apply within the aOWAtOWA area of the city of Dallas and in0iua0d rithln that area b0d8a by xcklnney Avenue, pearl street, canton Street and xaaar S,trsrt.~ *The qua8tioAr rabea Mdrr thin 8tat0 of iaot8 are: *(a) I8 the nur801~ dorm.ltaw a rpob- 110 8ohool* or *pub118 horpltal~ tier seotlon 85 (a) or the Liquor Qontrol Aat, or a Qrohool or other lbaoetlonal inrtl- tution* tuber the olty ordlnanor quoted lbwo? *(b) In aoaeurlng the dirtawe *from bent doorto rront iloorc otol, do lou 00Atdtw the jun0tion or mdhfp aa Xajdo an inter8eotioA tin&orthe lktutop .~ g(o) xi thir 18'8A lnterwot~&n, do rou moatawe a8 ehonn by the yd.# line, or au Ohown by the rod llaeg Lb btholr wo*dm, ,bo~00 measure aorotw a T Intm- reotlon dla6onally or at right an&***;: 1 ., a* . *& phyaioal iaotr ark 8hm~by the up attaohd hereto and narked.~bit ‘D’r The red and ~8110~ liner nproeent the 4iqpu$ia meth048 or ma8ur*ment. PrOa an lrohlteOtural 8tan&OtAt, the Qarten Avanas Baptlrt chrtroh raoer on Ba8ton, MU the Qraoe Yethoblat Cbtmh hoes on mua. ul abor8 an 080a trequeatly, ana 81.1dU par&t Aoorn to the ohureh auditorium but th8 ma in lntmuioer to the ohuroh dtarlusr u* the on8a that open W @3EtOA SDb ifpoitll,Ei8~8fi~l~~ '; ~. Eonotable Bert +% Md*trafor, Pq,* 4 *pyotion roe(a) ut the Building 00&o of the attr or *am provlQ@#~. ; ,, ~~ lqhat lrhenvbr uly lots ima 1Sd oft by any plat showing a frontage for *aid lot8 on.aly ltreet or ~~avenuein the rw&iaAoe motion of the City Al.1 building8 8rrOtOd 01161%8M,#ha11 kelp tholr rr02mgb on da &rut or am- 'me 80 au .to 0onforPlto the frontage or the loto 8how~ on uiy euoh plate* *Aooor&lng to the plats of the lot8 oa which the twc ohurohoe.are built, the QastoA ArbAUb Bapt1rt Churuh i8 reqtima to~sront bA cia8ton 4renue while thr Waoe YethodiBt ChProh 18 rb- qtima to iront OA Suniu8 etreet. unAor thb nullalqj code or tbe.@ity of Dallar both of these OhUrOheB w GroupA buildn.gr, apb under %OtiOA 60s Of the ,guil#ing COdei ti& : ., Croup A buildl~$~ are roqulreb to hare thei* +llain eotranoe QA~ oxit* On the Btmet On whloh crkghbtiL&q+frOnt. .The QleS@OnB '.~, lUb IDittba am8 .~ .. *{a) ,&8 the dQOi8 Of the tU@ -. ohuroheo vhioh'open OiiWke~l, tb bo ~OAdd8d ftoAt boot; dthiA th0 8oa~Ing of Sootloa #lb (a) uul t@m orhlAAAo* of .*ao,oityoi @AllA# pu9t86 ~ mbwo?: .,.,: ~~ " . .-lb) &# all bt thb iO&# bitho.' 2l ~.~ OhUroh88~1~ quwtlon .tobo.+onddand tront 4oorr? ~. :. *'(a).'I* thb dodr.t6'#~ #i.niay~&ih&l .~fOcm M b. 0OMid.d 9th. trOAti&Km or a ohuroh, publio loho01 or ptablio bO#pitd,* rftti,thb ,mcutfngOf +&On Eonorablo Bert Poor&,Adidni#trator, pw 6 85 (a), or *other lduoatfonal in- ltitUtiOAB WI&Or the o ltyo r dina no e qu0+0a lb wa ? IO the 6oor to the pastor*8 ~E'r J to be 00A81a.r.d a rront doort '(0) Ii the juaotlon OS a5 alloy and a Btte6t tb be OOABidOmd an IAtQrSOO- tlon u.mler Seotion 86 (a) or under the olty 0ril1Mn0.9 ‘(I. *@IO phyeloal raote are &own on the rqp attaohed hipyetoan4 marked Zxhlblt W. !f& quo8tloa A&n ir whloh artthe 0010Md liner i8 the Pl'OpOrmethOd Oi BOaBUriAg &#knO@ from front door to front door. fr nofther 0r these 11~88 18 Proper pleaee #tat0 the ro 1: t way to measure thle &tuner. .Tho prlnof$e Question with rhioh wa ibe oonoernod 18 0 proper method to be ueed in or4i88i43 irrogubr iAtOr8O,OtiOA6moh U t&18 0-e . 89, . qhe ,phydoal raotr are rhow~ br taohed.hereto end ssrkd exhibit *a!. Of the dOl0r.d 11!l8818 the EOpir way t0 maeum .thr dietanoe ltno&teii t The queetloa. subnlttid is whether the &oor to the orlglaal sohool building, or the door to the addition Is the Front door ukklerthe rtatutr~ Both &ore are wedlx tM dvo lf, Are both of 'tha ~. door8 front doorrt -0 pbeioei hot8 am 8hOm Oii tbh np. attaOh4 her&4 ad atarkbdmbit +3Pq TM quertlon agaln~pn8wAed ,irwhat ir the propu IUQ~to OF088UI i~~W&Uhl’ iAtOr8OOtiOIb~moh ~. : 48 ir ahown on thS8 map?' 3loaee dOd@kaW khother the red or the yOlkor 11~0 reprewntr tb pop4ru~to ma8urh _' EionGrabh Bert Ford, Adniiairtrator,Pagw 8 ‘9. *The phydoal facts +re ehopm attaohed hereto and marked Exhlblt liquor establishment &own on the mnp 16 a drive-tn beer stand end beer te served to persenu in ops parked on the lot on whloh the otand ie.looated. The property line of this lot begIna at the point aarked ‘A*. *The quertion submittab 1st *here b&r 18 oerveb in parked oar@, do you mGa*uzw mm the nearGet oornw or the lot on whioh the beer la IJrtrTQb~ or do you efilllmatsure from the rront door or the building iron which the beer is senrb?m As we oonstrue your opinion re;Uollt, pu an pri- mrily lntsreeteh in detars.inlngwhioh door or doore or the greleirer~ deecrfbed OOh3~ituteE the "front doorr or *front do0rtP of said psemli~ and the proper method or manner or mGaeuremnt rros irotitdoor to front aoor in -6ooordanbe with SeatiOn 25 (a) Of &rtlOlb 1 or the Y’aa8 Liquor Oootrol Aiot. Article 66%25(a), %raon*a &50tsted Peaid @do., roabr a8 ro11oPrs: vhe @mulsrloacr~~ court or any oouaty in the territory thereof outside Incorporated citier and twno aad the governing aut~orltler or any city or town .zlthin the oarporclte lisltr or any ouoh clty or town ma? prohlbit the sale of eloo~allo bevclragerby an dealer where the glaor or buslnees or any QUOi dealer 1s tithln three hOmIred (&X3) feet of rcy church, publlo school or pubiio hoa$ltal the meaeurwentr to be along the progerty &es of the rtreet rronte aad rr0m rr06t door to rpont door ti in dirsot line aorms $.ntsrreGtionewhen they OOOur.’ .*lpheaourt8 or thfs rtate hare not inter- preted the abme mm&toad sot with raferenoe Ecnorablr &rt Ford, WaiDtrator, page 0 to the aanaer or aethod or measurement. HOW- ever, we ~think that the hatute le olear and unamblguou8 and, aa stated in the rtatute, the rmeaeuxwmnte are to be made alon& the property line8 of the 8treet rrontr and iron front door to front door and In bireot line lOrOll8lnternotlone where they 000u.r. . + . *Ia other wor48, lt 18 our opinion that the mearummeata are tombe made along the property 11~8 or the 8treet rronte and rrom rront door ~to iront &or and in direct line aorom lnter8eotlona where ther ocour and the proper route to be r0iiowea lr along ski4 property liner regardleas whex-8they am situated and from rront door to rront door and in dfreot Xlae aoroas lntermectlon8 where they ocour;* 8tat.d in our oplnlon Iwo.O-2062, addrersed to &irr you, and bear&ug date of MarOh 19, 19M: *. . . w have beea unable to rind any oan rhioh oootalnr a deflnltloa of the term *rr0nt &or*; Bowever, we ~8halIillu8trate how the oourtl)ham eonstrued thr term *front* in r a r lo uo lituatlOa8. of a lot, lr rery ml1 **The front known to be thatpartor th0 ruaerhi0h raoer a 8treet Or ltreeta. It faay front on one atmet only or It aar rront on tw. what 18 the rront or a lot 18 determinable by lts'raolng upon a public 8treet or 8treet8.* Des Uolaer *I* mm, 81 fya 89, 991. "*my ride or raor of a btildlng tr the front, although the word ie aore w&xmly well to denote the entranoe . . . . Beak-front, rmrh0at, or four front8 df a house are all term8 la oomaoa 1ue - and there 18 no rearoa wh y a building lh o ulbnot wtmi- oa two, three or iour 8trGet8, or that two 0 three or four rtreetr 8hould not be *in front theroor*~ all ruoh ltrGet8 , Eonorable Bert Ford, Admlnirtrator, Page 0 wuld, I think, lconfront* the bulldlng.1 Be Dlnniok, 3 Oat w Ei 1061 - Rote 4(a) 87 COr&W# suti#, p'L@ 810. *llrhsvroat property llaew, within the r88trlotloa 02 deed8 0r property platted into lot8 that no bullding 8hdi be erected wlthla 80 feet of the rront property line of an]retreGt, inoludeo, in the aase of a corner lot, the llao of the ltreet on which 1s the aide Or the lot, a8 well 118the line oi the ltreet on which the lot raoee.1 water8 10. Qol~iae (If.J. Oh.) 90 Atl. 064, citing De8 YO1lu8 v8. Dorr, 31 Ion, 29, 93. *wit think the term w0nt door’ rhould be oonrtrusd 80 a8 to give lffeot to the lan- yege used in Beotlon 95 (a) of Article 8 oi the Texa8 Liquor Control Aot an& 80 a8 to give etfeot to the evlaegt lntentlon or the Laglrlature la the pa8rage oi the rot. fn acoordaaoe with 8uoh oonrtruotlon we think it wall the intention of the Legislature t0 allow the govern1 lnthorltp or oitlee, -tom8 aa oountier the T r ghf to prohibit the e&e ,, or aloohollo beverage8 by an dealer where the plaoe or bueineee or mu0hldealer warn within the prohibited bletenoe rran a oharoh, public rohool or horpltal, wing the barn18 or maaeurelssntOutliaeb by the statute. *we think the term *front door’ a8 ured in aald etatute meaaa any outside lntranoI door Zaolng or rrontlng a pub110 etreet* Thererare a a&arch, aohool, hoepltat or liquor de~er18 pleoe of bodnese aould hme on@ or more Qrroat doore*, dependent upon the fact8 In the oaae. We thlak there 8hould be at leaat 800 feet between the *front door* or any or the crront bOora 0r euoh plaoes, udng the eraternor mearrurewnt outlined br the #tatute** ‘:--- 619 prea- - u h lu h tek into ee eQne2a er a t1 ltrwtint.8?- 48 #.ctioMunloee they 45cuP# u%a elnoe no etnot lntoreoetlQn w sn ahlbit eA” botwoml tho dhunh allatho plus or Imel- apparentroaeQn o%l.Dtefor pF45oeaing to tb s&or- zG%rl maldng the mouumwnt, r)ordwa uq pr4vislm or the etatute 02 ozaaum4 BG dlnat* sddblt ?P nlldsheeae4n5ntouda~lo~~ :f~~~~~~~~~t~~~~~tl~le la~lvod, to-w&' oornwendapluoo?bueiZUeeongaged h the sale or alodhollubovampr lwatd xpauu~,” ds.l& aally oppoelte the ohuroh frw tW etavot mute lMu&oa by thehereQeQne&o~~t e “eoaenadls- tuloe or 301 rut* eoto~ a dlstub88 of W!3 feat. m,&gls Ta izEoV~~%b- 8wwewmmt b a a lta to dthat ie M t5 fo llw g g g ?iz g .:c str eet r mn~e e x b?ra Jwr x m t& o r to rrwt a o m. u h e lw nQ rtmt ia tweo a tlcomOa o r a*a awwr a m0D.q . ua ee a n o %lstent, th le OM QXI is mlrlaent, but la tata ea88 O%~loa by w%blbitdL”x,” l itnet l8to r so 5tl4 Il4 5o lx n ktv5enthoohulvhaburcrbtboplue0?blaeiars*uathogioDertY lla era r e lnto r r o p k db y th o stno t & ltweutl4 n. m th is M O #etegl~tluwhullutm~~th@~ie~b. ~einadinetUP*~eS~int0nO5tiam~ ObVWU4 th8 Boat&root m?ntounee tlmrtreet Lntonodlon txtdts*to$m Phibit”B”‘kthattakeabyth,~~cw-JhLobgreocRdr alqall4lly a5ro*e irap the Qo)Ip6r mpaetlthloh is lQ5atoa the la00 of buehwes to the eorne~~upa l?hleh b 1 4 8a to athm ohunh. $4 r5uto$aalo&toabythendu.uirmt,Unstud~t- to defeat th4 pxp444 44kintartl~.O? #4 8tOMt44 .. Ae8rortho~ 'ku?&t ,%&wmits 8 dlrror- 620 ~mouro&Ilm.lMlther~route~~~ sJdioatedby tb $Ml4u llnb in tahl ~*m088hdabbr4u0wur~ a sp r a 5tlc a b lo u rudu lc h ~x wp o r ty *ur l& usoxiet, fnm fr o nt dew. Y a ltmt fntenectlan 450~ do o rto h p a t aeciaureaaentshouldbb fn8dboct@ae aewes the stmotia- tenootian,