Seal Beach : Liquor Licenses on Hold Until Study Completed

An emergency moratorium on granting liquor licenses, imposed in February, lapsed this week, but the City Council directed its staff not to issue any more licenses until the moratorium can be reinstated.

The council voted Monday to have the Planning Commission complete a study on liquor licenses and is expected to issue another moratorium at its next meeting April 14, Mayor Joyce Risner said.

The 45-day moratorium was passed Feb. 10, after liquor licenses became an issue during the recent City Council election. Challengers Charles Antos in District 1 and Marjorie Ary running in District 3, who both lost, claimed the city was being overrun with places that sell alcohol.

John Baucke, the city’s director of development services, responded by saying there hasn’t been an increase in the number of licenses issued in the city for many years. He said most licenses are held by restaurants, not bars,

Baucke said that of the 50 licenses held in the city, only three were given to bars. Restaurants have 33 licenses, liquor stores have 7, grocery stores hold 6 and a wine-tasting place holds 1, he said.

Mayor Joyce Risner, who was re-elected Tuesday in District 3, said, “It was another way to stir up trouble and an issue that the opposition could use.”

She added: “It would be very difficult for restaurants to be successful unless they can at least serve wine.”

The Planning Commission will go ahead with study sessions on the topic to decide if the city’s process for granting licenses is adequate.