Racine council approves beer license for Lathrop Cash, waives geographic restriction

The Racine Common Council voted Jan. 20 to approve a Class A fermented malt beverage license for the MSBA Services LLC location d/b/a Lathrop Cash Discount at 2501 Lathrop Avenue and to grant a petition to waive geographic restrictions for the same location.

The decision followed a public hearing and lengthy council debate. The council approved the license (item 1238Dash25) on a roll call, recorded as 11–1 in favor, and later approved the geographic restriction waiver (item 1240Dash25) on a recorded vote of 10–2, meeting the two-thirds threshold the city attorney said applies to the whole Common Council.

Supporters argued the property owners had invested substantially to renovate the site and that the district alder had endorsed the application. “He runs a good business,” one alder (speaker 1) told colleagues, urging support for the applicant. The district’s alder, Alder Land (speaker 4), said she backed the application because it reflected her judgment about what residents in her district want.

Opponents raised neighborhood-concentration concerns. “Between Lathrop Avenue and Durand Avenue, we have 15 businesses that hold licenses,” one alder (speaker 15) said, urging caution about oversaturation and the cumulative public-safety and health consequences associated with dense clusters of alcohol retailers.

Several council members said they gave particular weight to the district alder’s recommendation but reiterated that the decision required balancing investment and neighborhood impacts. One councilor on the phone (speaker 13) said the committee considered factors such as the length of time and money invested in rehabilitating the location and the absence of police reports tied to the site.

City Attorney (speaker 11) explained the procedural threshold for the geographic restriction petition, saying the two-thirds calculation is applied to the entire council and that the number of votes required was satisfied given the members present.

The clerk read the roll on item 1238Dash25 and recorded 11 ayes and 1 no. The subsequent vote on item 1240Dash25 was recorded as 10 ayes and 2 nos; the motion passed. The council placed both items on the consent agenda after the recorded votes.

The license and waiver take effect according to the city’s licensing procedures; the council did not attach additional conditions during the meeting. Local officials noted they have administrative tools — including formal expressions of concern and due-process hearings — to address problems at licensed premises if they arise.

Votes at a glance: item 1238Dash25 approved (11–1); item 1240Dash25 approved (10–2).