Watsonville business owner pushing city for permit to sell beer and wine

A business owner said he should be able to sell beer and wine at his gas station, but the city is making it hard on him.

Ron Ince owns American Fuels and said it has been a six-year battle, and once again he’ll go before the planning commission to get the permit approved.

That meeting is happening Tuesday night.

Ince has been the owner of American Fuels for 15 years. For six of those he’s been trying to get the city to allow him to sell beer and wine at the convenience store portion.

“The business that I’m in, and the convenient store and gas stations, everybody expects that beer and ice is the last thing you get before you go camping,” said Ince.

But because of the current city rules, Watsonville won’t allow it.
The city has separation requirements, and American Fuels is within 500 feet from a market that sells beer.

“I’m asking for a change in the ordinance that’s in existence,” said Ince.

Ince isn’t asking for a new permit; he wants to take an existing beer and wine license from a business just up the road.

La Tiendita has agreed to sell Ince it’s license. Both store owners told us the license should move because that business is right near a school and has had issues with crime related to alcohol.

“By me not being able to have that same competitive nature in the convenient store business has really been a negative impact on my business over the last few years,” Ince said.

The planning commission said the current rules are there to reduce the amount of permits so there aren’t too many stores selling alcohol. But Ince said he shouldn’t be dinged for just transferring an already existing permit.

The city said 12 of 17 businesses have beer and wine licenses. The planning commission will decide Tuesday night whether or not to approve the modification to the ordinance.