SOUTH-CENTRAL : 4 Liquor Stores Get OK to Rebuild

The city Planning Commission has approved reconstruction of four liquor stores destroyed during last year’s riots and delayed approval of a fifth.

The commission imposed stipulations on three of the four outlets, including shorter business hours and the hiring of security guards.

The locations approved for rebuilding are:

* Taylor Market, 301 E. 53rd St. The minimarket has been approved for beer and wine sales, but the owner has agreed not to sell fortified wines.

* King Market, 2045 W. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd. Approved for beer and wine sales with a requirement that a full-time security guard be on duty from sundown until 30 minutes before closing.

* Cameo Liquor, 6507 S. Western Ave. The commission ordered the liquor store to limit hours to 9 a.m. to 10 p.m. and eliminate outdoor liquor advertising.

* Lincoln Market, 8001 S. San Pedro St. The minimarket was approved for beer and wine sales with a requirement that a full-time security guard be hired.

Several neighborhood groups had been against rebuilding the stores, particularly Lincoln Market, which also drew opposition from the Police Department.

“The LAPD took a strong stand against the store, saying there was concern over the sale of single cans of liquor and individual cigarettes being sold to minors,” said Don Taylor, a city planner.

Sylvia Castillo, project director of the neighborhood group Rebuilding Los Angeles Without Liquor Stores, also complained of sales to minors and other problems.

“When (Lincoln Market) was open, people would drink and then wander into the nearby church and disrupt the service,” she said. “We also got reports of kids getting money together and making deals with the panhandlers to purchase wine and malt liquor.”

Sah Bock Kim, the owner of Lincoln Market, disputed those claims. He said his store has been free of problems.

“I never had troubles,” Kim said, adding that he believed police were concerned with the area, not just his store.

Approval for rebuilding Henry’s Market, 8869-8871 S. Normandie Ave., was postponed until Aug. 19, when a review by the Planning Commission is expected to outline the impact the store would have on the neighborhood, said Michael Davies, a city planner.