Humboldt City Council contended with a discretionary use permit for a new liquor outlet, as it acknowledged that not all residents within its immediate area are happy with the notion.
At the regular council meeting on Monday, June 23, Council addressed an application for the operation of a liquor store in two eastern most units of Humboldt Commons on 8th Avenue. The immediate business district already houses a vape store, a cannabis store and a hotel with an off-sale liquor outlet.
As is required by the Planning and Development Act, residents within 75 metres of the proposed outlet were advised of the application and invited to respond. That invitation produced one letter and four emails from residents all advising a rejection of the application, noted City Controller Jace Porten in his report to Council.
None of those residents were in Council chambers to speak about the matter.
Among the stated concerns reflected in the residents’ communications were concerns about addictions in the community, the perceived lack of need for another retail liquor store, and proximity to family residences.
Another letter expressed concerns about a walk-up window that is proposed as part of the plan. The intended location of the window, where patrons would walk up to retrieve their goods previously purchased from an app, is currently a designated fire lane. While not a drive through window, some councillors expressed concerns about increased traffic flow in the east end of the parking lot. Another fast food outlet in addition to the existing one will put more pressure on an already busy area with few if any traffic controls.
City Manager Joe Day drew the conversation back to the discussion around the discretionary use application. He noted that the presence of a walk up window and resolution of the fire lane and other traffic concerns would be handled during the development approval process.
Mayor Rob Muench noted that this application represented the last of the permits available in Humboldt following the government’s dissolution of the SLGA retail system.
“This is the SLGA permit from the store downtown that closed,” Muench commented. “Somebody has paid a lot of money for this, and I think for us to sit here and say we aren’t going to allow this. While I would have liked to have seen this downtown, these people (applicants) have done their homework, and this is the location they’ve picked. I think we should approve this and not send a message out to other businesses that we’re not friendly to progress.”
In the end, Council voted to approve the application, understanding they could contest a walk-up window and parking concerns another day.