PLACENTIA : Residents to Appeal Beer-Wine Permit

Residents in the city’s Santa Fe district plan to appeal a City Council decision approving a beer and wine license at a neighborhood restaurant, arguing that liquor sales at area establishments historically have led to violence.

Although violence that plagued the area in the 1980s has subsided, the residents said they plan to appeal to the state Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control last week’s 3-2 council decision approving a liquor license for Mi Ranchito, a new Mexican restaurant on Santa Fe Avenue. Council members John O. Tynes and Maria Moreno opposed the permit.

“We’re not saying that violence will happen at Mi Ranchito,” said Joe Aguirre, whose family has lived in the area since the turn of the century. “Things have improved but people don’t think they have improved enough to start granting licenses to businesses that serve liquor.”

The Planning Commission had already approved the permit for Mi Ranchito, but Councilwoman Moreno said she brought it before the council “because of the high concentration of businesses already offering alcoholic beverages.”

City officials say that five restaurants and one bar serve alcohol within a half-mile radius of Mi Ranchito. Alcohol is served at a total of 22 businesses within one mile, including 17 in Fullerton.

City officials and business owners say Mi Ranchito should be allowed to serve alcohol to compete with other businesses. Luis Lopez, the owner of Mi Ranchito, has told city officials that beer and wine would be served only until 9 p.m. and only with meals.

“We’re trying to build up a viable area down there,” said Joyce Rosenthal, Placentia’s director of developmental services. “This is a legitimate business that must compete against other legitimate businesses.”

Still, some residents say that there are plenty of other restaurants that do well without serving alcohol.

“We’re already saturated with liquor,” said Margarita Duncan, a lifelong resident of the Santa Fe area. “We don’t need any more beer and wine. . . . To allow a business to serve alcohol is to condone violence.”

In the Santa Fe area over the past year, police said, there were 43 arrests for public drunkenness, 23 for drunk driving and 30 for of assault. Although the figures are well below those of 1986, some residents said there is still cause for concern.