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Temple council approves conditional use permit allowing liquor sales at West Avenue M amid neighborhood protests
Summary
Despite sustained neighborhood opposition citing safety and property‑value concerns, the Temple City Council on Nov. 20 approved a conditional use permit allowing off‑premises alcohol sales at 2204 West Avenue M. The motion passed on final reading, 4–1.
The Temple City Council voted Nov. 20 to adopt a conditional use permit allowing retail sales of all alcoholic beverages for off‑premises consumption at 2204 West Avenue M after a public hearing that drew several nearby homeowners opposed to the change.
Residents who live adjacent to the proposed store urged the council to reject the permit. One unidentified neighbor told council, “I do not wanna live next to a liquor store,” and described alleged construction debris, sanitation problems and repeated harassment by the property owner during prior work. Shelley Posling, who identified herself as a homeowner and local realtor living directly behind the site, said the location is a block from homes, three churches and one school and warned the addition of alcohol sales would bring “safety hazards” and depress property values.
Supporters of the store spoke as well. A man who identified himself as Mr. Hunt said the area is clean and cited a city survey he attributed to “Chief Reynolds” showing crime down 23% in 2025. A business operator identified to the council as Taheem said the tenant group runs Temple Food Mart at the location, denied safety problems and said the group had begun the conditional‑use process after receiving a city notice. The property owner, Fahim, told the council the parcel sits in a general‑retail area and said hundreds of people signed support forms at the store counter.
On the council floor, Council Member Grant moved to approve the ordinance on its second and final reading; Mayor Pro Tem Walker seconded. The council approved the measure with four votes in favor and one vote against. The council’s presiding official noted the item required a supermajority and confirmed the outcome met the requirement.
The action follows prior code and permitting interactions between the owner and city staff; commenters said the store previously sold alcohol before completing required permits, while the owner and tenant said they attempted to comply and later paused sales after city notification. The council’s approval authorizes the conditional use permit for off‑premises alcohol sales at the 2204 West Avenue M address. The council did not detail additional operational conditions in the meeting discussion.
The council’s decision is final as adopted on second and final reading at the Nov. 20 meeting and does not include subsequent administrative conditions beyond the CUP text adopted at that hearing.
