Neighbors in Parkland Hills, South San Pedro and Nob Hill, 

You should have received a notice of a liquor license hearing tomorrow, 6/4 at 9am in the 9th Floor Committee Room, for your neighborhoods which involve the 7-11 stores at 3801 Central NE (Central & Aliso) and 5401 Kathryn SE (Kathryn & San Mateo).

The city's liquor license decision authority is vested in an Independent Liquor Hearing Officer whose decisions are appealed to the courts, not the Council.  

Similar to our zoning rules, they city's ethics rules also prohibit me from specifically directing hearing officer or staff in this matter - but in extraordinary circumstances I can help the community organize and share my own concerns and I have chosen to do just that in these cases.

That said, I share concerns about the negative neighborhood impacts these two locations have demonstrated under 7-11 management.  The hearing officer is limited in what he can consider to deny a license transfer, and the bar is very high to do so.  Experience in these matters tells us that data demonstrating an inability for a license owner to manage the license and incompatibility with evolving neighborhood uses is the most impactful.

Therefore, I had APD, AFR and my staff compile data on calls for service at both locations and I have written and submitted a letter (attached) to the hearing officer detailing:

• The number of police and fire calls for service at each location
• The disproportionate number of public resources required to respond to what I perceive is an inability or unwillingness of 7-11 to implement their own policies to prevent, theft, over-intoxication and neighborhood disturbances linked to these locations and alcohol.

Simply put, the availability of alcohol for off-premise consumption has proven to be incompatible with other uses in the neighborhood and the records demonstrate that the City is required to devote a disproportionate amount of public resources to respond to and restore the health and safety of the neighborhoods when the license holders fail, time and time again, to prevent the negative impacts of their off-premise sales from negatively impacting others.

I am making a copy of that letter and the data available to you all so that you can use it in your own advocacy and engagement around these hearings. 

You should also contact your neighborhood association president if you want to know more about your NA's stance on these requests.

In solidarity, 

Pat

Pat Davis
City Councilor