The last item on the Oct. 9 City Council agenda, heard by an empty room, was an appeal of a unanimous denial by the Planning Commission of an application for a conditional use permit to allow the sale of alcohol at the Circle K on Glenneyre. It already is permitted to sell beer and wine.
Of the four City Council members at the meeting, three not running for election in November voted to overturn the Planning Commission denial and allow another liquor license. The only vote looking out for residents was Toni Iseman.
After staff explained the Planning Commission’s unanimous vote to deny because the area is oversaturated with alcohol related businesses and additional alcohol related activities were not in the best interests of the community, Councilmember Dicterow said he couldn’t assess the safety issues and joined two other councilmembers to allow the city’s 126th liquor license.
Laguna simply does not need one more liquor license. If Laguna followed the Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control (ABC) guidelines, Laguna would have 37 ABC licenses. Instead, Laguna has 124 ABC licenses—a number far greater that the concentration guidelines issued by the state.
Laguna has nearly four times the number of ABC licenses that would be allowed under ABC guidelines, and compared to neighboring beach communities, Laguna has nearly four times the number of DUIs per resident. So, it is little surprise that having nearly four times the number of ABC licenses that we have nearly four times the DUIs.
So, explain again what it was about safety that was hard to assess?
Here are some suggestions for the City Council. How about trying this next time:
- “I’ll agree to another ABC license when we get DUIs down to below the average for a city with our population.”
- “I’ll approve another ABC license as soon as we have fewer liquor licenses than ABC guidelines.”
- Or ask the applicant what the economic difference would be to his store if he could sell alcohol. Then offer to grant the approval if he turns over half that to the police and city to reimburse us for the extra cost of having another liquor license.
As you consider your choices in the coming election, Toni Iseman was trying to protect the residents. She needs some company on the City Council who will be more interested in helping the residents than helping Circle K.
John Thomas, Laguna Beach
