With Liquor Stores Nevertheless a challenge, Arias Wants rules that are even tougher

The city attorney’s office provided this directory of complaints about Parkway Liquor dating to Jan. 1, 2019.

GV Wire? contacted Parkway Liquor. The phone was answered by a man and said, ” “We don’t have to utilize the town. We now have no issues after all. ” He hung up before providing their title or name.

  • Feb. 13, 2019 – inoperable vehicle parked in a driveway on jack appears (case closed)
  • Sept. 26, 2019 – non-permitted electrical, junk/rubbish (situation closed)
  • June 5, 2020 – graffiti complaint (addressed)

Parkway Liquor sits in the edge that is south of row in west Fresno. City Council Member Miguel Arias claims it is a meeting that is known for pimps dispatching sex workers across the roadway. (GV Wire/Jim Jakobs)

Safe Marketplace Neighborhood Ordinance

The council in 2019 passed a suggested ordinance — the Safe Market Neighborhood Ordinance — requiring that brand new companies attempting to offer alcohol in Fresno must buy a license that is existing than add another.

With regards to the measurements of the establishment, multiple alcohol licenses may be needed.

Examples for brand new establishments would add:

  • Retail square footage lower than 10,000 feet shall move two ABC licenses in good standing, and surrender one particular to ABC.
  • Retail square footage between 10,000-30,000 feet shall move three ABC licenses in good standing, and surrender two of these to ABC.
  • Retail square footage more than 30,000 square foot shall move four ABC licenses in good standing and surrender three of these to ABC.

Another stipulation within the ordinance would be to reject a conditional-use license to a business that is new giving it might lead to how many web sites offering alcohol for off-site consumption surpassing one license for each 2,500 residents.

The issue is, Arias states, that ordinance are circumvented.

“So that, you realize, a council or a preparation payment can just, you realize, totally, produce an exemption, ” says Arias.

Into the months that are coming several committees like the airport region and preparation payment are considering techniques to result in the ordinance permanent.

Arias believes the procedure should eventually end up straight back in the town council by August.

Here is the ordinance passed away by the council in 2019.

Youth Leadership Institute

Christina Garcia, 17, of Roosevelt senior high school assisted pass the Neighborhood Market that is responsible Ordinance. This woman is area of the night Live program at the Youth Leadership Institute friday. FNL centers on performing research and producing jobs to lessen underage consuming and drug usage among minors.

“As a person that is young I enable the town council to decrease the total amount of alcohol shops and alcohol consumption to young adults even as we are generally oversaturated with alcohol shops within the town, ” stated Garcia.

In 2019, FNL youth leaders conducted a storefront assessment of 17 liquor stores — Sunnyside twelfth grade is enclosed by 20 alcohol shops within a mile regarding the campus. Eleven of this 17 stores advertised alcohol and had significantly more than 15% of alcohol advertisements as permitted.

A day in addition, 66% of Fresno County youth reported seeing one or more alcohol ads. Research indicates that the greater people that are young subjected to liquor advertising, a lot more likely these are generally to start out consuming.

This is actually the presentation the Youth Leadership Institute aided come up with for the council.

Payday Lenders Then on Arias’ Radar

“We have saturation of payday lenders, ” says Arias about their region. He says one of many look at these guys reasons is simply because banking institutions have actually prevented starting in many components of their district, including southwest Fresno. Payday loan providers have actually relocated in to fill out those gaps.

Arias states he utilized a payday lender when he had been in university to produce ends fulfill. He claims a major issue that|problem that is big will probably manifest itself because of the pandemic’s economic turmoil may be the amount of collateral individuals must set up — a vehicle, as an example, to obtain one of these simple high-interest loans.

“We’re planning to see plenty of automobiles being turned over, and lots of people losing their livelihoods because they’ve applied for that loan for a asset that is deteriorating” claims Arias.

As to whether or not the populous town council is going to do one thing comparable with payday loan providers as they’ve completed with liquor stores continues to be on their to-do list.

“After we have the structural modifications from the alcohol shops and motels, ” he claims.

Based on CalMatters, southwest Fresno is teeming with payday lenders, while its bank that is only is Chinatown.