Limiting Number of Liquor Licenses May Help Ease Main Street Problems

Regarding “Up in Arms Over Hours for Business” (Oct. 22): Belmont Shore is a unique little shore-side village that has a “walk-in” shopping street that runs down the center. Although the 2nd Street (eight-block) shopping area represents less than 10% of the residential area, it is a major focus of the Shore because of its unique shops and limited parking.

Seal Beach has a similar scenario and is taking a stand on a common problem. The merchants on Main Street openly accuse city officials of being “anti-business,” while the residents fear that their Main Street is becoming a late-night drinking haunt. Some of the merchants even dream of seeing their Main Street grow into a “little Belmont Shore” where throngs of patrons go for food, drink and entertainment. Residents often complain of being kept up at night by loud patrons who urinate or vomit on their residential sidewalks and streets.

The SeaSide Grill’s request to operate past midnight took more than 80 people to City Hall where Planning Commissioner Joseph Orsini stated: “Seal Beach is residential area with a commercial strip that runs through it. It is not a commercial strip with residential area around it.”

Belmont Shore has been declared by the Coastal Commission to be a “fragile environment” and many of the residents are concerned with the over-commercialization of 2nd Street. While Seal Beach residents are trying to limit the hours of bars and liquor-serving restaurants, the residential organization of Belmont Shore has taken a stand to resist any new or additional liquor licenses. These appear to be similar actions responding to similar problems.

Beach parking does present, and always has presented, a measure of congestion, but the problem is most exacerbated on or adjacent to 2nd Street. The time (a car is parked) is increased as patron density per block is increased and as more of the patrons are at a restaurant rather than a bakery. With the proliferation of eateries, competition presses more of them to add beer and wine.

Since most shopkeepers are not the owners of the commercial property, their overhead (rent) is driven by a monetary force to increase the patron density per block and the commercial property owners are not accountable for added parking requirements.

If additional liquor licenses are denied, the business climate for additional restaurants will be restrained, the requirement for additional parking structures/lots will be reduced and the commercial property rents can stabilize to retain some of the small independent or family-owned shops. Now who would ever oppose a grand plan like this?

WALTER OESTREICH

Belmont Shore