REVIEWED BY: Ray Severn, Community Development Director q

Pursuant to AB 2897, the Council is required to review new liquor license applications to determine whether or not public convenience and necessity is met for issuance of off-sale beer/wine and general off-sale licenses.

The issue before you is a request for a letter of convenience for a beer/wine license at Jesse’s Camp Store located at the Carpinteria State Park. The store as proposed will provide various grocery and sundry items.

Public convenience and necessity requirements would allow the City to determine if there is an over concentration of establishments selling alcoholic beverages in a given location and Alcoholic Beverage Control (ABC) would then be required to deny a license request.

Mr. Jesse Devroude Shelton of Jesse’s Campstore located at Carpinteria State Park is applying for an off-sale beer/wine license.

The City currently has 7 stores selling beer and wine that are located within walking distance of the Carpinteria State Beach (City Market at 501 Linden, Beach Liquor at 794 Linden Avenue, Vons at 850 Linden Avenue, Lucky’s at 1018 Casitas Pass Road, Thrifty’s at 1012 Casitas Pass Road, M&R Liquor at 1024 Casitas Pass Road and La Mexicana Market at 5290 Carpinteria Avenue ). However, there is currently no beer and/or wine available directly at the State Beach Park.

Alcohol is prohibited on both State and City beaches and is only allowed in campsites. Lieutenant Meyer of the Sheriff’s Department has indicated that he foresees "no significant impacts on law enforcement" since alcohol is to be consumed only in the campsite areas. However, it must be noted that the City’s contract law enforcement service provider, the Santa Barbara County Sheriff Department is sometimes the primary law enforcement agency responding to calls at the State Park from midnight to 6:00 a.m. Any increase in calls or even a continuance of the status quo (in terms of the number of calls from midnight to 6:00 a.m. ) impact the level of service to Carpinteria citizens.

Other State Beach Parks, (El Capitan, Refugio and Jalama), do have alcohol concessions however, they are not in urban areas. Dana Point and Pismo Beach both have State Beach Parks located adjacent to their urban areas and do not have off-sale beer and wine available. Dana Point has a "snack bar" but no campstore and Pismo Beach has neither a snack bar nor a campstore. However, beer and wine are readily available within the surrounding areas. The Campstore does not propose to sell unusually unique beers or wines that would in any way, establish a public convenience or necessity for their product.

The issue is exempt from environmental review.

The City is required by law to issue letters of convenience for those types of liquor licenses specified in AB 2897.

1. Deny the application if it does not justify the convenience or necessity. Such denial is consistent with the City’s overall approach to discouraging alcohol on the beach and during such events as the Avocado Festival.

Map of Carpinteria – beer and/or wine stores located within walking distance

Example – ABC Denial Letter

Mr. Jesse Devroude Shelton

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Rays@silcom.com