Despite Dozens of Service Calls by Police, Store Owner Appealing to Sell More Alcohol

Police have responded to dozens of calls for service near and around a Pasadena neighborhood store that is seeking a conditional use permit (CUP) to sell a full line of alcoholic beverages, including spirits, according to a city staff report. 

From Jan. 27 to May 10, Pasadena police reported responding to 55 calls for service within 500 feet of the Linda Rosa Market, located in the 1800 block of East Villa Street. The calls included complaints about theft, public disturbances, loitering, vandalism, burglary and public drunkenness — and that was with the store selling only beer and wine. 

Last year, police reported a total of 192 calls for service within 500 feet of the store. 

The CUP is scheduled to be considered by the city Board of Zoning Appeals (BZA) on Wednesday. 

“The introduction of a full line of alcohol at this site would not help curtail these issues and would not result in a positive upgrade of the area,” the staff report states. “The proposed upgrade for the sale of full alcohol (beer, wine and spirits) for off-site consumption has the potential to contribute to loitering, public drunkenness, noise, littering, and other negative impacts.”

Currently, there are three other stores within 1,000 feet of the market that sell alcohol, which could be deemed an overconcentration of alcohol outlets in the area.

In order to receive the CUP, the BZA must find that five conditions would be met by selling a full line of alcoholic beverages:

• A substantial net employment gain on the site
• A substantial increase in business taxes
• The store is a unique business addition to the community
• The store will contribute to long-term overall economic development goals of the area
• The project will result in a positive upgrading of the area 

When the matter came before a city hearing officer in February, it was determined those conditions would not be met if a full line of alcoholic beverages was sold at the store.

According to owner Sukhraj Kau, each of the six required findings can be made and the hearing officer erred in his decision.

The market is considered “deemed approved” and began operation before owners were required to follow regulations and obtain conditional use permits, which can limit hours of operation and other business functions. 

Over the years, the city has fought to bring some “deemed approved” liquor stores into compliance.

Super Liquor and Walt’s Liquor Store — on Orange Grove Boulevard were forced to operate under refined restrictions that forced owners to place stickers with the business’ name on bottles of liquor and limit the stores’ operating hours under the city’s “deemed-approved” ordinance which forces all liquor stores to operate under the same city-mandated standards.

In 2005, residents Terri and Jim MacQuarrie voiced complaints at a City Council meeting and provided the council with photos of people drinking in public. One photo depicted a prostitute having sex in the couple’s backyard as the woman’s customer drank from a can of malt liquor purchased at Andy’s Liquor store.

Andy’s was demolished in 2016, then-Councilman Victor Gordo drove a bulldozer into the structure, knocking it down to make way for construction of affordable housing units. The MacQuarries were allowed to participate in the liquor store’s demolition.

One piece of correspondence has been received for Wednesday’s hearing. 

“I am writing to endorse support that Linda Rosa Market can sell hard liquor because it is a convenience factor when shopping in Pasadena for a one stop shop to get all the things like hard liquor that I need instead of driving to different places to make separate purchases,” wrote Bob Lee. “Her license is approved by the California ABC and should pose no safety issue to the community.”