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Salinas blocks new liquor license at N. Main Walgreens

UPDATE 5/27/2015: On Tuesday night, Salinas city council members decided to uphold the original denial of Walgreens’ liquor license application, according to Sun Street Centers.

This means Walgreens will not get the license to sell alcohol at its N. Main St. location.

UPDATE 5/26/15 6:15 p.m.: The Salinas City Council is discussing a possible liquor permit for Walgreens. The council is hearing an appeal from the pharmacy chain about why is should be able to sell spirits.

At one point in time, the Walgreens on N. Main St. had a liquor license. For whatever reason, the pharmacy chain gave it up. But now, it wants it back. But according to city code, there are too many businesses with liquor licenses in this Salinas neighborhood already.

“It’s called undue concentration,” Jyl Lutes, Salinas city council member said. “It means there are too many licenses in that area, you can’t just go in there and get it.”

Just a few doors down from the Walgreens is a Safeway.

The planning commission has already denied Walgreens’ request. Lutes says the city wants to be business friendly.

“The challenge is,” Lutes explained, “We have to come up with two findings, two reasons why we are allowing them to have an alcohol license in an undue concentration area. Well, we can’t find that. That’s the challenge.”

Sun Street Centers has successfully stopped a liquor permit at a gas station on Williams Road because it made neighbors uneasy.

“It’s not because we aren’t business friendly or anti-business,” Sylvia Ramirez explained, “It’s because our community members speak to us.”

They’re against this issue because its close proximity to homes and schools. Neighbors we spoke to agree.

“That means it’ll be easier for people to buy alcohol and alcohol leads into bad things,” Frank Jacobo said. “And being a former firefighter, I used to see all of that stuff.”

At last check, the city of Salinas had 133 liquor licenses. That’s 10 over the amount allowed by the state Alcohol Beverage Control. When deciding the number of liquor vendors per neighborhood, city leaders look at things like population density and crime figures.

PREVIOUS STOYR: Salinas City Council will review an appeal to an originally denied alcohol license application by the Walgreens in Harden Ranch Shopping Center.

The item will come up during the public hearing portion of Tuesday’s City Council agenda.

The planning commissions cites “undue concentration” in that part of the city.

NewsChannel 5 investigates the debate over alcohol sales tonight. Click here to see the agenda item:

Salinas staff report on Walgreens alcohol license denial

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