Pike County supervisors have voted to ban bars within 1,500 feet of church properties.

Supervisors voted 4-1 this week to adopt the ordinance. Board president Tazwell Bowsky voted against the plan, saying the prohibition exceeds the 400-foot limit allowed in state law.

The 1,500 feet in Pike County runs from the property line of a church to the door of a bar.

The penalty is $500 per offense.

The ordinance exempts bars that have been in business more than a year. It doesn’t apply to areas inside town limits.

The ordinance takes effect immediately.