On Tuesday, the Antioch City Council will hear an appeal regarding an applicant who wishes to bring a liquor store to a shopping center on Somersville Road.
The Somersville Liquor Store Use Permit was granted by the planning commission on February 15 in a 4-3 planning commission vote. The applicant is seeking Use Permit approval for the operation of a new liquor store with a type 21-Off-Sale General license from ABC. The subject site is a 2.02-acre parcel (2651 Somersville Road ) developed with a commercial center and parking lot. The liquor store would sell beer, wine, liquor, drinks, snacks, and similar items. The applicant is proposing to operate from 7am to 12am, 7 days a week. Four employees will work at the store.
The staff report highlights, specifically, the Planning Commission reduced the hours of operation from 7 am to 12 am to 7am to 10pm, and limited alcohol storage and sales to 25% of the overall floor area.
Then on February 23, 2023, an appeal of the Planning Commission’s decision was filed with the City Clerk by Kathryn Wade. According to the staff report, the reason for her appeal is:
“We do not need another liquor store in the Somersville area. We already have 3 liquors in less than a mile between them and we need better services and businesses in that area. The liquor store doesn’t bring any value to the community.” – stated Wade in her appeal application.
Here comments echo Councilmember Monica Wilson who hosted a press conference in February with parks and recreation commissioner Dominique King calling for a ban on new liquor stores within the city of Antioch.
“First, I am officially calling on Mayor Thorpe to begin the appeals process for this liquor store application. This decision potentially has citywide implications concerning public safety, social detriments of health and quality of life,” said Wilson who noted while she is making this appeal she has not made a decision.
Next, she proposed a prohibition of future liquor stores in the city of Antioch.
“I’ll be proposing legislation on a prohibition of future liquor stores in the city of Antioch. In addition to my legislation, I am calling on Mayor Thorpe to immediately place a 45-day urgency ordinance on the agenda for prohibition of liquor applications until the development of a potential passage of my proposed legislation.
The press conference was held in response to the Antioch Planning Commission voting 4-3 in favor of Item 7.3 which is the Somersville Plaza Liquor Store. Wilson highlighted within a 2-mile radius of this proposed location, there are 8 active liquor licenses while there are only two bargain grocery stores within the same radius.
A couple days later, during a special meeting of the Antioch City Council, the urgency ordinance proposed by Wilson died after a split 2-2 vote with Mayor Lamar Thorpe joining Wilson in support while Councilmembers Mike Barbanica and Lori Ogorchock opposed—Tamisha Torres-Walker was absent from the meeting.
Also on the agenda:
Antioch City Council Set to Declare Winner in 5th Street Tree War
For a year, Antioch residents Diane Gibson-Gray and Joy Motts have been battling over tree removal on 5th Street in the City of Antioch.
Now, the Antioch City Council will ultimately decide whether two trees will stay or go after Gibson-Gray applied and was granted a Tree Removal Permit all the way back on February 23, 2022 to remove two London Plane Trees from her property at 411 W 5th Street. An appeal was then filed by Joy Motts on April 8, 2022. — Full Story
Antioch City Council Meeting
Date: Tuesday, March 14, 2023
Time: 6:30 P.M. – Closed Session
7:00 P.M. – Regular Meeting
Agenda – click here
2 comments
Interesting. So all of a sudden we have a problem? It doesn’t matter if a store has been in business for how many years, that’s a lame excuse. If it’s known for certain activities and within an indigent neighborhood then do something about it. Are we going to wait 30 years later and stick to the same old song? Yes I’m being vague on purpose.
Do we need to point out the existing stores in our neighborhoods?
If these council members and directors were so concerned about neighborhoods, they would be impartial and include EVERYONE in the conversation. Don’t politicize our communities.
I applaud Ms. Wade for her advocacy and courage. I hope she gets the results in her favor.
Applicant should have asked for a pot dispensary instead. City council didn’t have a problem putting a charter school in the area of a liquor store and gas station selling beer. Also known drug selling area on Cavallo and also putting a homeless housing motel in close proximity of a school. So let the liquor store open, the City of Lamar is already lost.
Comments are closed.