PALMDALE – Considering public approval against protests, the City Council voted 4-1 at Wednesday’s meeting to approve a conditional use permit (CUP) for a family market seeking to sell alcoholic beverages for consumption off premises.
Newly-appointed Councilman Fred Thompson was the lone dissenter in the vote, noting that the council should not support a fourth “Off-Sale General” license where the maximum has already been reached with three issued licenses for that area of Palmdale. An Off-Sale General (Type 21) license issued by the Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control allows for alcoholic beverages to be purchased but not consumed on the business’s premises.
Thompson said the council’s approval would send the message that it’s okay to issue licenses to areas in the city already saturated with alcohol sales licenses.
“It seems to me that if the maximum number for that census tract is three and they [ABC] issue four, and we come up with the CUP and facilitate that – we’re setting a dangerous precedent,” Thompson said. “I don’t feel that we should be facilitating this, no matter how restrictive our CUP’s are.”
Speakers from the community took issue with the crime reporting level for the area of the applicant’s business, Maldonado Restaurant Inc., which is located at 1060 E. Palmdale Blvd., Suite 106.
According to a city staff report, the average number of reported crimes for the applicant’s district is above “the average number of reported crimes of all 33 reporting districts in Palmdale.”
Kamal Al-Khatib, president of the American Islamic Institute of the Antelope Valley, spoke passionately against the city approving the market’s application for the permit.
“There are already three (licensed) establishments, according to (ABC’s) quota,” Al-Khatib said. “There is no need to establish another one … We don’t need another liquor store to help increase the crime. We need to be more careful in our position to protect the children. Public safety is more important, I urge you to uphold the decision of the Planning Commission by denying this project and tell them that enough is enough.”
Palmdale businessman Samuel Roman spoke in favor of the Maldonado family, saying they are not looking to capitalize on alcohol sales but to provide an additional service to their customers.
“I’ve heard what is going on in this area and why we have a lot of problems,” Roman said. “But this family runs a good business, and I really recommend you approve their permit. They will do the right thing, and nothing they do will affect the kids.”
Mayor Pro Tem Tom Lackey explained the council’s decision as weighing the options between free enterprise and public safety issues.
“We have to be careful when we start to regulate people and people’s willingness to make choices,” Lackey said. “Where we really need to be careful is when we tell people when they can or cannot make a living.”
The motion to approve the market’s permit for alcohol sales was passed with the condition that sales of “single cold can” beverages be prohibited and that employee verifications for responsible beverage service training be posted in a public area at the market.
The council’s approval of the applicant’s conditional use permit settles the Planning Commission’s Feb. 13 public hearing, which lacked “sufficient affirmative votes for approval,” according to the report. At that meeting, two commissioners voted to approve the CUP, two voted to disapprove, and one abstained. The matter then had gone to the City Council when the applicant appealed the commission’s decision.
Xavier Flores says
There is much to consider in this debate. The right to make a living for oneself is surely one important element. Should we ever tamper with that right? If we all have the right to make a livelihood for ourselves, is it then OK to allow a countless number of liquor store in a given community because to do otherwise would cut into peoples right make a livelihood there? We have 37 liquor stores in zip code 93550, twice as many as zip code 93551 and six times that of 93552. Should we allow 100 liquor stores? how about 1000? I use an extreme to make a point.
Any reasonable person would say that it is OK to have a certain number of alcohol outlets in any given community, after all, alcohol is legal. But would a reasonable person say that it is OK for a community to have any number of outlets, that having one is just the same as having 100?
We know that saturation of alcohol outlets in a community causes all sorts of social maladies and health issues. We also know that the more alcohol in a community the more alcohol-related problems that community will experience.
Councilman Fred Thompson understands this equation very well and we commend him for his courageous and thoughtful stand. I pray that in the future we can count on him to help open the minds of other policy makers on the Council and Planning Commission, as well as City staff.
Jason says
Any reasonable person? There are actually people in this community that believe if you buy beer at a gas station your going to drink it while you pump gas and drive and go out and kill people. But I guess that doesnt happen when you go to a Grocery store or Wal-Mart and buy alcohol or a restaurant???
93550 is the oldest district, stores are in walking distance and more people in this district dont have cars. Zip codes 93551 and 2 are newer higher income areas. Cant compare apples to oranges makes no difference anyway you dont like alcohol period so there is no reasonable discussion with people like yourself.
I would bet $10,000 to your $1 that 93551 sells more alcohol in that zip code then in either of the other zips
Jim says
It is not an issue of just one more alcohol sales outlet in the city. We all know that alcohol is a leading factor in motor vehicle accidents. We know that it can have a negative impact on society and families. Many of us think that because we like the occasion beer that it should be available everywhere for easy access. Have you ever known an alcoholic? Know a friend or family member who has driven drunk. Known someone killed by a drunk driver. Why make it easier?
This city is in a downward spiral. If we want to improve this town we should be working to reduce the number of alcohol sales outlets, pawn shops, gun stores and other such businesses that are associated with high crime. Lancaster and Palmdale have both become high crime areas with spreading blight. Soon people will be moving back to LA to get away from the crime, graffiti and trash in the Antelope Valley.
So ya, it is not just one more alcohol sales outlet. Shame on the council for contributing to the delinquency of a city.
The dude says
Where is your hard data on alcohol being a leading factor in motor vehicle accidents? I know you are wrong.
MR. PERPLEXED says
OK! WAIT! I AM CONFUSED HERE! MALDONADOS RESTAURANT IS IN THE 2200 BLOCK OF EAST PALMDALE BLVD BY THE DMV AND THIS IS MI RANCHITO MEAT MARKET THEY ARE TALKING ABOUT… SO DID MALDONADOS ALSO ASK FOR AN ALCOHOL LICENSE TO SELL BEER AT THEIR RESTAURANT?
BETWEEN SIERRA HWY AND 12TH ST EAST THE FOLLOWING PLACES SELL BEER AND WINE, 7-11, A1 LIQUOR, KANGAROO GAS & MINI MART, THE VALERO GAS STATION AND NOW MI RANCHITO MEAT MARKET!
LeaveMeAlone says
I don’t need ninnies like you or Kamal Al Katib telling me how to live. If I want a beer with my taco, it’s none of your darned business.
We repealed prohibition for a good reason,,,,,, it was stupid!
William says
Stay thirsty, my friend.
dumbandblind says
Alcohol should be banned just like tobacco in the first place! What good does these do to the community as well as the individual anyway.
Jason says
Cheers!!!! to the City for supporting businesses and freedom and for not being influenced by people who are trying to scare and push there beliefs on citizen’s. If business owners break the law then the city can always take their alcohol license away.
Not everbody wants to go to a Wal-Mart to buy food and beer and local business owners have better friendlier customer service and I look forward to saying hi to them and convenience of not fighting the crowds. Why should I have to go to two places to shop for food and beer. Kids dont see alcohol at Wal-Mart and Supermarkets just small stores???
This should of never gone to the city council and waste an hour and a half of time seriously no wonder no one wants to go to city council meeting and listen to this B.S. we need to spend time talking about creating jobs at the meetings!!! We always talk how nothing gets done, takes so long and hurts jobs with red tape in Congress and Sacramento here it is as an example on a local scale.
Kamal Al-khatib says
Being concerned about Public Safety and high Crime rate in this particular location which exceeds the standards by 1150% is not B.S and not waste of time, the argument here has nothing to do with belief of religion, this area already saturated by Alcohol Estaishment and the City Council approved increased it by 25% over the ABC Quota for this particular crime Dustric, in my opinion this is the B.S, Liquor store is not going to create jobs because the store already operational and have all jobs needed, the fact they are using 10% of the store display area for Alvohol is BS because they can refill this 10% area all day long, please think about what you are saying before you say it because what you are saying is B.S.
LeaveMeAlone says
Well from some of your arguments it had everything to do with your religion. What was that you said “It’s against community, it’s against Islam.”
I’ve drank beer and hard drink all my adult life and I have never committed a crime.
Your not concerned about safety, you want to push your beliefs onto everyone else.
So don’t talk about B.S. because you’re full of it. You want a Shariah state to force you beliefs on other people along with your other borish Islamic behaviors.
Well I said enough, I guess I’ll crack open a cold beer! Good day!
flybird says
LeaveMeAlone—Drink all you want, just don’t drive.
Jason says
Frist of all why would any church or school want to locate in a commercial zoned district??? Why not next to a beautiful city park, you have a choice, lands cheaper too, so you imposed on business, your hurting the community. On second thought you might corrupt young kids minds being that close. Why build so many churches and schools? BECAUSE PEOPLE WANT CHOICES WHERE TO GO and what kind of religion they want to Drink/hear for the day!!!!
Second its about the store owners freedom and my freedom, they provide a legal service for what the customer asks for to make profit. Its called business enterprise just like a church does in someways.
Third your beliefs impose on my beliefs you would be against alcohol tobacco rockin roll playboy magazines and sleeping in on Sunday which are all legal. So is tattoos shops massage parlors and pawn shops and bars.
There are religious nuts and drunks but its there right to be that way and live that way its there life