Restaurateur to Challenge Liquor Sale Ban

A restaurateur vowed Tuesday to file a legal challenge to a new ordinance adopted by the San Fernando City Council that will ban liquor sales by most new businesses.

Regina Sancho-Bonet, owner of the Saraerrols Greek Restaurant on Maclay Avenue, said she decided to challenge provisions limiting the proximity of liquor businesses to some public buildings after the council Monday rebuffed a last-minute plea to relax restrictions on restaurants.

“There’s nothing wrong with the body of the ordinance. There are a lot of liquor stores in San Fernando,” said Sancho-Bonet, who said she expects to go out of business because of the ban. “We are going to challenge the distance only.”

The council finally passed the measure Monday night, effective May 19, freezing liquor licenses until the city’s population of 23,500 increases by about 50%.

The vote represents the culmination of a grass-roots movement that for the last year has pushed for a reduced concentration of liquor outlets in the 2.4-square-mile city.

“Everybody’s happy. It’s landmark legislation,” said Raul Godinez, a leader of Valley Organized in Community Efforts. “We put in a lot of hours. In the end, we ended up with a very nice ordinance.”

But business representatives, who had objected to several requirements of the ordinance, predicted disaster. Chamber of Commerce representatives had lobbied for a relaxation in requirements keeping restaurants from serving alcohol 600 feet from public schools, playgrounds, churches and other restaurants.

“I do not believe an ordinance that precludes bona fide eating places . . . is in the best interest of our city,” said Donna Gradon, owner of Custom Printing Co. “Do not let this ordinance hurt us, let it help us.”

Sancho-Bonet opened the restaurant last year just as a temporary moratorium on new liquor outlets, designed to give the council time to study the issue, went into effect. The restaurant is within 600 feet of Morningside Elementary School.

“This is our life we’re talking about,” said Sancho-Bonet, who wants to sell wine and beer. “People come in once and they won’t come back.”

Godinez said he sympathized with Sancho-Bonet, but he could not comment on behalf of his group on the possibility of a lawsuit. “In general, I feel bad about what happened to her,” he said. “Her type of business is not the type of business that is perceived to be a problem.”

During public hearings on the ordinance before the Planning Commission and the City Council, the distance requirements for restaurants drew little comment. In March, members of the Valley Organized group, which relentlessly pushed the ban, asked that distance requirements be lengthened for restaurants. In the city’s draft ordinance, the distances for restaurants ranged from 300 feet to 400 feet.

Godinez suggested that the city wait a year or two to see how well the ordinance works.

“What bothers me is they (opponents) haven’t given the ordinance a chance,” Godinez said.

The law prohibits new liquor stores from opening until the city of 23,500, which has 32 liquor stores and markets, reaches a ratio of one outlet per 1,000 people.