Wednesday, 27 January 2010 17:00

Some Jackson Merchants Perturbed by Proposed Liquor Store Move

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slide1-some_jackson_merchants_perturbed_by_proposed_liquor_store_move.pngAmador County - Many business owners on North Main Street in Jackson are up in arms over an application by owners of the Bottle Shop liquor store to move their business from its current location downtown to the head of Main Street. A group of merchants say they will strongly object to the transfer when it comes before the Jackson Planning Commission for approval on February 16. Most believe the move will hurt the downtown’s image by transferring drunk and disrespectful liquor store clientele to a central and visually unavoidable location. The application for a premise to premise transfer is posted in the window of the former home of the Biggest Little Kitchen Store, located at the intersection of Highway 49/88 and Main Street. The building has remained empty since the Kitchen Store moved its business further down the street and expanded last summer. Bottle Shop owner Max Ghuane says the move is necessary to ensure the survival of his store. “We’ve been close to going out of business, and that’s the only perfect spot I can think of with convenient meters and parking spots on the side of main street,” he said. “I personally think it would probably be the straw that breaks the camels back,” says Hein & Company bookstore owner Wolf Hein, citing the already deteriorating business atmosphere along the city’s main thoroughfare. “We already have enough vandalism and drunks hanging around our place already. This is just bad for business,” he said. Vandalism in the form of graffiti, broken windows and smashed flowerpots is now commonplace on a monthly basis. Many merchants believe customers at the two remaining downtown bars and the Bottle Shop are the culprits. One concerned citizen said he regularly sees Bottle Shop clients loitering, spitting on the sidewalk, tossing cigarette butts in the gutter and even urinating on the street. He is encouraging everyone to write the Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control in Sacramento and protest the liquor store’s application. But Ghuane said he has taken great strides and eliminated the vagrancy that plagues his store’s image. He said he is upset that no one has approached him in person to voice their disapproval. He called it a case of “jealousy.” “I’ve talked to the state. The next step is taking it to the city for their approval,” he said, adding: “I don’t want to have to go out of business.” Story by Alex Lane This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
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