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Council reverses Planning Commission, approves distilled spirits sale at Jackson Food Store
Summary
The City Council approved a Conditional Use Permit to allow sale of distilled spirits at Jackson Food Store (15980 Paris Blvd), overturning a 4-3 Planning Commission denial; staff and the sheriff’s department said there were no notable calls for service at the site.
The Moreno Valley City Council on April 15 approved a conditional use permit to allow the sale of distilled spirits at an existing convenience store on Paris Boulevard, reversing a February Planning Commission decision that had denied the request by a 4-3 vote.
The applicant sought to upgrade from a Type 20 off-sale beer-and-wine license to a Type 21 off-sale general license at Jackson Food Store, located at 15980 Paris Boulevard (northeast corner of Paris and Iris). The Planning Commission had denied the application on the grounds it could be “detrimental to the public health, safety or welfare” and “materially injurious to properties or improvements in the vicinity.”
Community Development Director Angelica Frausalupo summarized the project and prior review. “The Planning Commission denied the project based on the finding that the proposed project will be detrimental to the public health, safety or welfare, or material injurious to properties or improvements in the vicinity,” she said during her staff report. Frausalupo and staff noted the site sits within a census tract that is overconcentrated by one off-sale license, but the proposed license swap would not increase the absolute number of active licenses in the tract.
Staff described existing and proposed safety measures at the store: the business operates daily from 5 a.m. to 11 p.m.; beer, wine and ready-to-drink products are stored in walk-in coolers; distilled spirits would be displayed behind a locked glass cabinet behind the cashier and out of customers’ reach; the store uses a point-of-sale system that requires a date-of-birth entry and ID scanning before completing an alcohol sale; and a camera/surveillance system is in place.
The Riverside County Sheriff’s Department reviewed the application and reported no notable calls for service related to people or traffic in the area. After presentations and no public speakers at the hearing, the council voted to approve the conditional use permit, finding the project complies with zoning code standards and concluding the sheriff’s review showed no basis to expect measurable public-safety issues.
Motion and vote: Councilmember (mover) made a motion to approve the staff recommendation to find the project CEQA-exempt and to approve Conditional Use Permit PEN24-82 subject to the conditions of approval; the motion passed unanimously (Bernard, Gonzales, Delgado, Mayor Pro Tem Baca Santa Cruz and Mayor Cabrera all voting yes).
Conditions of approval include the security, surveillance and point-of-sale controls described by staff; alcohol consumption on premises is prohibited. Staff noted the store already has existing systems in place that staff and agencies relied on in their review.
The council’s approval allows the applicant to proceed with the Type 21 license request at the subject location, subject to the city-mandated conditions attached to the permit.
