Not every convenience store ends up selling beer or wine...

As I read the title linked Toledo Blade article, I started to wonder when I read this:

"I look around the neighborhood and all I see are these gas stations going up with liquor permits," said Matthew Lintz, 18, who spoke against a proposed store at 801 South Byrne Rd., saying it would promote drug and alcohol abuse.

In going to the Toledo Planning Commission Active Files and then doing a search thru the various data bases at the Ohio Division of Liquor Control I was able to determine the following:

According to the data base from the Ohio Division of Liquor Control, a request for a permit was filed on 05/09/2006 for a C1 license to sell alcohol at 801 S. Byrne.

On the special use permit for a convenience store at 3125-3137 Cherry that was before the Planning Commission, the ODLC data base shows, a permit request for on 04/24/2006 for Telluride Grocery Store on 3139 Cherry for a C1 License.

On the special use permit for a Convenience store at 5624 Secor Rd, a permit request on 04/19/2006 for 5614 Secor Rd for a C1 License was made.

On the special use permit for a convenience store at 4625 N. Detroit Ave, there is no permit request on file as of the last update of the data base. However there is a License on file for that location already under the name of Qusra Brothers, Toledo Check Cashing Center on 4625 N. Detroit. It is a C1 and C2 License.

On the special use permit for a convenience store/fuel sales at 441 Langdon, there does not appear to be a request for a permit filed with the Ohio Division of Liquor Control nor permit on file for that location.

On the special use permit for a convenience store/fuel sales at 1829 Eastgate. There is an permit that has been granted for 1853 Eastgate for a C1 C2 License but none on file as requested or granted for 1829 Eastgate.

It's important to point out that the application of a request for a Liquor permit does not guarantee one will be granted. If you look at the data base there are many places that have been waiting for there to be a population increase that would allow the quota numbers to change so that they could be granted a license to sell alcohol.

So before Toledo City Council decides to put a six-month moratorium on Convenience Stores, I think now would be a good time to provide some information to the community as to what is involved in getting a license to sell alcohol, taking a look at the quota system that the State of Ohio has developed which is only supposed to allow so many licensed operations in a certain area based on population numbers. In theory this system designed to prevent the very concerns Mr. Lintz has, too many locations in one area selling alcohol...So if this is a problem, the solution does not appear to me to placing such limits on businesses that might not even be able to get a liquor license in the first place. The logical solution would be to address the liquor license aspect if that is the problem.

As a part of their Frequently Asked Questions page, the Ohio Division of Liquor Control provides some basic information that those interested in this topic might find of interest. Their pdf of the brochure detailing the steps necessary to obtain a Liquor License is one I hope City Council is familiar with, as well as Community Options; Dealing With A Problem Liquor Permit Premises information.

Rather than City Council placing barriers in the way of new businesses, it seems more productive to address the concerns and to provide information on the quotas for those areas. If these particular areas are deep into a quota situation it could possibly take years if ever for these convenience stores that do not already have a license to sell alcohol to obtain one.