Councilman Tom Simplot
August 2008
Liquor Licenses
Thriving restaurants and bustling small markets that serve the community are signs of a healthy and vibrant neighborhood. Most of these types of businesses are good neighbors. Many of them have liquor licenses to sell wine for dinner or beer for a barbeque, and many neighborhood residents choose to purchase these items to enjoy.
But what happens when a business that sells liquor becomes a neighborhood problem?
There was such a case in a neighborhood near Seventh Avenue and Indian School Road. A small convenience market was a magnet for transients because of the antiquated design of the building and their willingness to sell single cans of beer, sell to intoxicated individuals and not monitor their parking lot for panhandlers and passed-out, inebriated persons. Not only did this breed more loitering, but it also increased the amount of trash in the area, public intoxication, public urination and worse, additional crime in the area.
Several months ago, a new owner applied for a liquor license at that blighted location. We felt this was the perfect time to fight the license and have one less outlet in our area, which is already saturated with liquor vendors. The liquor license application received a unanimous recommendation for disapproval from the City Council and even Mayor Phil Gordon volunteered to speak against approving a license for this market at the State Liquor Board hearing.
When the hearing was held on July 10, Mayor Gordon and I were on hand to provide testimony about the liquor-related nuisance this business had become. In spite of our testimony, and that of the Police and other nearby business owners, the State Liquor Board approved the license application in a 4-2 vote.
The purpose of sharing this case is to show that the city reviews each liquor license application thoroughly and takes seriously the impacts a new license can have on our neighborhoods. If the impacts are negative, then City Council members, along with concerned residents and city staff, are willing to stand before the State Liquor Board in defense of those neighborhoods.
Although disappointed that the Board voted to approve the license in this case, representatives from the Seventh Avenue Merchants Association, neighborhood leaders, Police and I intend to work with the new owner to address these issues. He has already made positive changes, and we are hopeful that he will continue these improvements. We are optimistic that this collaboration will lead to an improvement of that site and that “convenience” for the criminal element will be replaced with a corner market that is a community partner for the surrounding neighborhoods.
New liquor license applications are being submitted to the city and state every day. Some of these are for great new markets and restaurants that add to the character of our neighborhoods. Unfortunately, that is not true of some others. We need to all be aware of what’s happening in our neighborhoods. Look for upcoming liquor license application hearings in District 4 on our Web site at phoenix.gov/district 4.
Councilman Tom Simplot represents District 4, which includes parts of north central Phoenix. If you have questions, comments or suggestions on this or any other issue, contact his office at council.district.4@phoenix.gov or call 602-262-7447.