LOS ANGELES : Council Overturns Ruling to Let Liquor Store Rebuild
The Los Angeles City Council this week took on its first liquor store case since last year’s riots, overturning a Planning Commission decision to allow a problem-plagued store to rebuild and requiring the owners to pay for a costly environmental review.
Although the action won applause from more than 150 residents who jammed the council chambers, it put off a final decision on whether Buckingham Liquor can rebuild and did not clarify the competing interests in the debate over South Los Angeles’ liquor stores.
It also exposed the city to legal liability, with Councilman Hal Bernson arguing that requiring the formal environmental impact report would probably result in a lawsuit. The store’s owners said after the meeting that they intend to sue.
Councilman Mark Ridley-Thomas said the abundance of such stores in inner-city neighborhoods made action by the council imperative.
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