Alcohol permit standards may relax in Stanton

By Brittany Hanson/Garden Grove Journal

Purchasing alcohol may become easier in Stanton very soon. At Tuesday’s city council meeting, council members voted in favor, four to one, of relaxing city ordinances on conditional use permits for businesses to sell alcohol.

Ordinance 971 will allow for businesses that previously could not sell liquor due to sensitive use zoning ordinances to apply for the conditional use permits, which will be under review of the city.

Sensitive use ordinances related to the matter state that a business within 500 feet of a sensitive area, such as a school, park or church, and within 100 feet of a residential area could not sell alcohol.

As a result, a business that is near a residential area, such as Morry Roboitian’s Shell gas station, have in the past lost business and business tax money to an establishment just on the other side of the street.

Roboitian’s business sits on a Stanton border at 8971 Katella Ave. and across the street is a liquor store.

“I’m in favor of the ordinance,” said Roboitian, “this will bring new taxes to our city, Stanton.”

Roboitian cited that even with a car wash and a Quizno’s sandwich shop attached to the gas station, he can see the appeal for someone to stop elsewhere if they were looking for alcohol.

Currently, on site liquor sales are restricted to bars and clubs and the rules for area saturation and applications will not change. The application process involving an alcohol, beer and tobacco license with approval by the city will stay in place.

Council member David Shawver said that although this would help businesses get permits to sell alcohol, it by no means meant that everyone would be able to.

“We can also match the competitive sales,” said Al Ethans, council member, “[we can]assist the businesses here who are trying to make a living and in an area where people can literally go across the street to buy not only their alcohol, but their other needs as well all in one place.”

The ordinance, although voted on and approved by the majority of the council, will come up again for a final approval at the next meeting, Aug. 10.