Booze battle surfaces

Mathis Winkler

Wednesday, Nov. 14, 2001 | 9:02 a.m.

City officials are taking a careful look at the number of stores with liquor licenses along Lake Mead Boulevard after a resident complained that too many places in the area sell alcohol.

The issue came up last week as City Council members were set to approve two applications to sell liquor in supermarkets on the boulevard.

Pointing out that 13 businesses -- seven bars and six stores -- already sell alcohol along less than a mile between Civic Center Drive and Pecos Road, Mike Winne, a regular council critic, said he didn't like the idea of adding more.

"Enough is enough," said Winne, who lives in the neighborhood. "This is the redevelopment area. The only thing that's going to be missing is the gun shops next to the liquor stores."

Aware of his unpopularity among council members because of his frequent criticism, Winne asked city leaders to make an exception and follow his advice.

"I thought if I showed you what's going on on Lake Mead (Boulevard), you'd say, 'I don't really agree with him on a lot of issues, but this is one where he makes sense,' " Winne said to laughter from the dais.

Council members decided to hold off on a decision about the two applications until they get more information about the issue from city officials. They also echoed Winne's concern.

"When you start talking about 15 places that you can potentially get drunk from, it creates a problem," said Councilman William Robinson. "Somewhere we've got to draw the line. We've got to do something with this, the sooner, the better."

Councilwoman Stephanie Smith agreed that the concentration of alcohol-selling businesses along the boulevard seemed high.

"I went to school in Milwaukee and even Milwaukee doesn't have that many" places to buy alcohol, she said.

But Smith added that she wasn't sure that a crackdown on future licenses for the sale of packaged liquor like those sought by the two supermarkets would solve the problem.

"Seeing that all these places already sell packaged liquor, what is going to change?" she asked.

Mayor Michael Montandon agreed, but added that he felt uncomfortable with the high number of places selling alcohol.

"I'm not sure anybody needs that many liquor stores that close together," he said, adding that the issue took him by surprise because city officials recommended approval of the two extra licenses.

Montandon said he expected to receive a report on the issue from city officials in the near future.

Police department officials said liquor-selling stores always keep officers busy.

"Any drinking establishment is going to give you calls for service," said Lt. Art Redcay, the department's spokesman. But he also said he wasn't aware of any specific problems along Lake Mead Boulevard and added that many of the bars there have been around for years.

City officials in charge of preparing a report on the liquor licenses for council members could not be reached Tuesday.