Spring Valley Planning Group Denies Alcohol Permit Upgrade for Three Neighborhood Markets

Three Spring Valley neighborhood market owners stood before the Spring Valley Community Planning Group and Design Review Board last month, requesting their liquor licenses be upgraded to allow for the sale of hard alcohol. The planning group, however, denied the requests, citing that the risks associated with an upgrade outweigh benefits to the community. 

The markets in question—Harness Market at 9095 Harness St.; Park Market at 8830 Troy St.; and Circle Market at 3502 Bancroft Dr.—already have licenses which permit the sale of beer and wine. 

The decision to decline the upgrade, say planning group members, is three-fold, pointing to the stores being located in high-crime areas; Park Market’s and Harness Market’s proximity to parks; and the 34 operating liquor outlets already located within Spring Valley.

“There are a lot of people who live in those communities who really like the convenience of that neighborhood market who would also like to be able to get their hard liquor there as well,” said Spring Valley Planning Group Secretary Marilyn Wilkinson. “But the thing of it is this is not a matter of public convenience. There are already enough liquor stores in that area.”

Spring Valley Planning Group Chairman Scott Montgomery said that the planning group, the department of land use and the Sheriff’s Department were unanimous in recommending denial of the request. Sheriff’s Department officials said that if hard alcohol were more readily available, that already-high crime rates within those areas would likely increase.

Not everyone agreed. Several citizens spoke in favor of the upgrade, yet the planning group felt they were not an accurate representation of the demographic in the areas surrounding the community markets.

“It was obvious that these people are law abiding and don’t cause trouble,” Montgomery said. “For them it would have been convenient, but for us it was the bigger picture and the collateral damage which would have been caused.”

Montgomery said Park Market and Harness Market have already filed an appeal to the Planning Commission. Hearing dates have not yet been set.

Mike Mamo, who owns Circle Market, said he was not surprised by the decision. 

“We were not disappointed we were denied the permit, nor were we surprised,” he said.  “We have not gone in the direction of appealing the decision yet. We don’t know yet what we are going to do.”

Calls to Harness Market and Park Market were not returned.