There has been a lot of discussion on whether or not we need to refuse an alcohol license to a certain C-Store adjacent to the Bishop Dudley House. While I believe there are stores that sell alcohol responsibly and some that don’t, you almost have to ask if this is a location problem for the store or the Dudley House? The shelter was warned before moving into that neighborhood that, well, it was a ‘neighborhood’ that has bars, restaurants, C-stores etc. It never was an appropriate place for the shelter. NEVER! This was more obvious then building a Bunker Ramp with, well, with you know who.
Even if we deny the license to this store, there are dozens of other locations in the neighborhood that alcohol can be purchased.
There is also another discussion of having certain ‘zones’ in the city where single-serve malt beverages cannot be served or alcohol at all. Former councilor Karsky had this idea, but dropped it. Several current councilors have discussed it. I told two of them that it is ‘discrimination’ against a retailer who is in one of these zones. Let’s face it, you can pretty much buy alcohol in just about every corner of this town. I told them if you were to ban single-serve beverages, you would have to do it city-wide, you also may run into some road blocks with the state.
The real problem here isn’t who is selling alcohol, or even where, the problem is allowing a homeless shelter to be placed in the center of a neighborhood that was already providing these things before they showed up.
Hell, let’s just open a bar in a shelter. It would be like a clean needles program. That way we can control the whole situation.
( – and Woodstock adds: “Mutating the disease is always the best cure, what can I say?”)
A C-Store is where you find necessities closer to home and after hours. There’s more alcohol in NyQuil than in beer. Either might be considered necessities for the working class. I should think the smell of liquor on someone admitted into the Dudley House is enough to turn them away. An alcoholic will find alcohol regardless of proximity. A C-Store is more important to the community. They can choose who to sell to and (likely) would decline sales to certain people.
Look at the city zoning map. The location of the Dudley house is not really in the middle of a residential area. It is all zone commercial or light industrial for a number of blocks. Do let us not blame the Dudley house for being out of place in a single family area.
It is less than a block away from residential homes. It would be like putting a strip club a block away from a church or school and saying the same thing, “It’s zoned commercial.”
Look at map 13wis. All land to west is commercial or downtown designated. Area to east is commercial strip from 10th to 8th commercial. Plus a good building to rehab. Where better with such a building.
When the shelter was being proposed I suggested a spot just north of the Law Enforcement center where there was available properties. It would not only be close to the PD, but the courts, the bus station, DT library and Falls Community Health.
What buildings the size of the Dudley house were there. And there is residential even closer there
Please tell us where the Dudley should move to?
I highly recommend we provide free bussing to San Fran or LA
there is a good way to prevent ppl from panhandling for 4-lokos they are already doing it in Texas:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sjbieyxXCQg