Planning commission directs staff to prepare approval for Circle K beer-and-wine permit amid oversaturation debate

The Jurupa Valley Planning Commission voted on Oct. 9 to direct staff to prepare a resolution recommending approval of a conditional use permit (CUP No. 24033) and a Public Convenience or Necessity finding (PCN No. 24001) to allow beer-and-wine sales at the existing Circle K at 4687 Pier Enterprises Way.

Senior Planner Miguel Del Rio told commissioners the proposed Type 20 license would be the tenth off‑site alcohol license in the census tract; the California Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control (ABC) recommends a maximum of six off‑site licenses for that tract. Del Rio noted the site is about 1,300 feet from the nearest residence and about 3,000 feet from the nearest off‑sale facility and said the project is exempt from CEQA under the existing‑facilities exemption (CEQA §15301).

Alex Caldaras, who represented DC Fuel (operator) and West States Holdings LLC (property owner), said the family‑owned operator has invested locally, created about 30 jobs and runs the adjacent Alvarado’s Mexican Grill. “We’re proud of our clean record and fully committed to continuing this track record with our proposed beer and wine sales at Circle K,” Caldaras said, adding that not offering beer and wine has hurt the store’s sales against Circle K benchmarks.

DC Fuel’s security director, Chad Stolsberg, described safety measures the site uses: more than 120 high‑definition cameras with 60‑day retention, ID scanners for age verification, employee training, and a magnetic locking mechanism on the store coolers that requires staff activation to prevent theft or underage access. “We commit to managing alcohol sales responsibly,” Stolsberg said.

Only one public comment was submitted in advance; George Reese, who shops in the area, urged approval on convenience grounds, saying the immediate area lacks a nearby small retail option for single‑purchase beer or wine. Reese said he had not observed loitering or other problems at the location.

Commissioners were divided. Commissioner Jackson said she was reluctant to approve an additional off‑site license in a tract that already exceeds ABC’s recommended threshold, noting political and community concern about saturation. Commissioner Schultz and Chair Pro Tem Pruitt emphasized the store’s low‑crime record, the sheriff’s letter reporting no issues at the site, and the property’s edge‑of‑city location as reasons to support the application.

Commissioner Schultz moved and Commissioner De La Torre seconded a motion to have staff prepare a resolution approving the CUP and PCN and present that resolution at a future meeting (it was noted the item could return on the consent calendar). The motion passed 3–1 with Commissioner Jackson opposed and Chair Newman absent.

Next steps: staff will prepare the draft resolution and return it to the Planning Commission for formal action; the item was framed to be placed on a forthcoming agenda for final consideration.

Background: The Circle K is a 2,760‑square‑foot convenience store; the cooler area proposed for beer and wine is roughly 22.75 square feet, about 0.8% of the store’s floor area. The city’s packet notes that a prior City Council hearing in 2020 denied the alcohol portion of earlier approvals after finding that adding another off‑site license would contribute to oversaturation in the census tract.