City Council denies beer-and-wine license for Oceanfront market after public hearing

The Los Angeles City Council on Sept. 5 denied an application for a beer‑and‑wine license for a small Oceanfront market that the applicant said his family had operated for 54 years.

At a public hearing the applicant, identified in the record as Doctor Kotler, said the market serves elderly residents who cannot reach larger stores and argued a beer‑and‑wine license was necessary to make the property economically viable after a year of vacancy. Kotler told the council the Los Angeles Police Department had submitted a letter — signed by a vice sergeant identified in his remarks as Sgt. Fontanella and by Captain Bill Williams — stating the department would not object to the license and that adding one license to the area would not materially increase public drunkenness.

The council member representing the district said the location has a “cumulative problem” on Oceanfront Walk from people who spend long periods there after buying single containers of alcohol. That council member recommended denial, saying adding another off‑site beer‑and‑wine license would not help ongoing public‑safety and quality‑of‑life issues. A motion to deny the application was called, the roll was opened and closed, and the clerk announced 11 ayes; the council approved the denial.

The council’s action was procedural and final for the meeting; no follow‑up direction to staff was recorded on the item.

Doctor Kotler’s remarks and the LAPD letters were entered into the public record during the hearing; the council member’s recommendation to deny was made on the record prior to the vote.

The council did not specify a remediation plan for the Oceanfront Walk area as part of this vote; the transcript records only the denial of this particular license application.