Richmond planning commission continues hearing on Chevron convenience store beer-and-wine permit after neighborhood objections

The Richmond Planning Commission on Wednesday continued a public hearing on PLN25-087, a conditional-use permit request to allow off‑sale beer and wine at the Chevron convenience market at 2900 Hilltop Mall Road, after residents urged more community outreach and the commission requested a report back.

The commission left the public hearing closed and voted to continue the item to September 18 (or the next meeting thereafter) so the applicant can meet with the Hilltop neighborhood council and city staff can report on that outreach. Vice Chair Burbaker made the motion to continue and Commissioner Golovitz seconded; the motion passed 4-0 in a voice roll call.

The permit would add a California Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control type 20 license for off‑sale beer and wine only, limited to refrigerated display cases and one display gondola inside the existing convenience market. Assistant Planner Pete Seagram told commissioners the 1.5‑acre site is zoned CM‑5 and that the proposal includes restrictions the Richmond Municipal Code requires: alcohol sales limited to display area under 5% of floor area, employee training through the California Alcoholic Beverage Control education program, electronic ID verification at the register, interior and exterior cameras with two‑week retrieval, and a two‑week city/police inspection authority.

Neighbors and neighborhood representatives spoke nearly unanimously in opposition at the hearing. Cordell Handler, a Richmond resident, thanked the commission for previous denials of similar proposals and said community outreach was insufficient; he told the commission the neighborhood was “ecstatic” about that earlier result. Bob Encattery, identified as president of the Hilltop District Neighborhood Council, said the council voted to oppose the permit and noted concerns about nearby schools and a nearby cannabis dispensary. Multiple residents said the Hilltop Mall Road corridor already experiences heavy traffic at school pickup times and said they feared loitering, sideshows and increased calls for service if alcohol were sold at the site.

Captain John Lopez of the Richmond Police Department said staff had reviewed the location and that the department did not identify a pattern of calls for service tied to the site that would justify denying the permit; he also said sideshows occur in Richmond generally and sometimes in the Hilltop area. Seagram said the police department recommended the proposed alcohol hours, and that the applicant agreed to reduce store closing hours from midnight to 10 p.m. to align with alcohol sales (the applicant proposed alcohol sales from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m.).

The applicant’s agent, Ron Cole, addressed the commission by phone and said he had attempted outreach before filing and did not receive responses; he described the proposal as “minimum incidental sales” rather than a full liquor store. Several public commenters disputed that characterization, saying visibility of alcoholic beverages in a convenience store would affect children walking to nearby schools and change neighborhood character.

Rather than decide the permit that evening, the commission voted to continue PLN25-087 to a date certain so the applicant can meet the Hilltop neighborhood council and staff can report back. Chair Harrison closed the public hearing for the record prior to the continuation vote. Staff said the planning commission’s decision is final but may be appealed to the City Council.

Clarifying details from the staff presentation and public record: the requested authorization is a state ABC type 20 off‑sale beer and wine license; the store would restrict alcohol sales to refrigerated displays and one gondola; proposed alcohol hours are 10 a.m.–10 p.m. daily, while the store proposed reducing overall store closing time from midnight to 10 p.m.; the display area would be less than 5% of the store floor area as required by Richmond Municipal Code; staff noted the census tract would reach a maximum of three licensed off‑sale permits with this approval and that the site is not in a city‑identified high‑crime district. The project as proposed includes conditions prohibiting small containers and open containers, required illumination of parking areas during business hours, and a possible community complaint response program at staff’s discretion.

The commission’s next step is a continuation on September 18 (or the next scheduled meeting), at which staff will present a report on applicant outreach with the neighborhood council and additional comment from the public. The planning commission’s action on the CUP can be appealed to the City Council.