Planned Acton Supermarket Denied Key Permit

Regional planners on Wednesday denied Albertson’s a permit to sell liquor at a proposed supermarket in Acton after residents vehemently protested that the store--the first major modern convenience in the community--would destroy the rural ambience.

More than 75 residents at a special hearing in Santa Clarita cheered the 4-0 vote following three hours of testimony, mostly in opposition to Albertson’s plan to build a 40,000-square-foot supermarket.

Albertson’s officials declined to comment on whether they will proceed with construction without a permit to sell liquor.

The county last year approved plans for the market, to be built on 5.5 acres at the Crown Valley Road exit of the Antelope Valley Freeway, the gateway between the Santa Clarita and Antelope valleys. Residents did not learn about the project, however, until January, when Albertson’s was required to post a liquor permit notice on the site.

Alarmed and angry, residents have fought the proposal since, saying they don’t want a supermarket in their community. Many opponents say they support their local store, the Acton Market, and that a supermarket would drive longtime merchants out of business. More than 2,000 residents in the community of fewer than 10,000 signed petitions opposing Albertson’s.

Despite a series of meetings with developers, the nine-member Acton Town Council unanimously opposed the proposal, even after Albertson’s scaled back its project to eliminate a proposed gas station and mini-mart.

A supermarket “would radically change the character of our community,” one resident told commissioners as other opponents sporadically cheered and stomped their feet.

“We don’t want bright lights in a parking lot. We’re out there because we like to see the stars,” said another.