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Uploaded: Friday, February 8, 2013, 10:06 AM
Planning Commission gives BevMo a thumbs up
Favorable review two years after controversial Menlo Park store opens
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by Sandy Brundage
Almanac Staff
It seems like only yesterday that a faction of Menlo Park residents and alcohol merchants rose up against allowing a Beverages & More to open at 700 El Camino Real. A divided Planning Commission, followed by a split City Council, finally approved the use permit in 2010, and the new BevMo opened in February 2011.
The permit called for planning commissioners to review operations two years after the El Camino Real location opened. According to the staff report for the Feb. 4 meeting, fears of rampant crime have failed to materialize.
The police department reported three incidents at the BevMo -- one armed robbery in May 2011; one public intoxication and trespassing in April 2012; and one bicycle theft from an outdoor rack near the store in September 2012. Spot checks of the store found that employees kept the parking lot clear of shopping carts, and the miniature bottles of alcohol locked in display cases, as requested by city officials as a condition of approving the permit, according to the staff report.
Planning Commission Chair Katie Ferrick said that while there were quite a few concerns prior to the store's opening, she'd heard no anecdotal stories during the past two years that would lead her to reconsider the use permit.
The staff report did not discuss whether the BevMo has taken business away from local proprietors, such as the Beltramos, who had contributed their share of opposition against allowing a new competitor to open in town.
Commissioner Vince Bressler asked how much sales tax the store contributes to Menlo Park. BevMo representatives, noting that the exact amount is confidential, said they were "very pleased" with the store's performance.
In contrast to the hearings held in 2010, no one spoke against the store during the Feb. 4 review. Residents who protested the opening were not immediately available for comment as to whether they'd changed their outlook on BevMo, or still had concerns.
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Posted by Brody Darke, a resident of the Atherton: West Atherton neighborhood, on Feb 8, 2013 at 2:26 pm Fortunately we live in a free enterprise society where the viability of an enterprise is determined by the amount of business that is generated versus its costs. This is how it should be. If residents and workers in Menlo Park and surrounding communities did not value this BevMo, they would not shop at it, and it would go out of business. But, the community has shown that it does value BevMo by voting with its dollars.
This is a much better system than one in which a small group of citizens and even smaller group of competing merchants try to use local government to prevent the establishment of an enterprise.
BevMo has done a great service for wine buyers in the area by at least providing an alternative to Draegers and Beltramos, two merchants who enjoyed too little competition for too long.
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Posted by Fred, a resident of the Atherton: other neighborhood, on Feb 8, 2013 at 4:18 pm Historically, the Menlo voters when polled and by their votes have shown their support for a number of issues than those tomato throwers who show up to council and commission meetings to say, "Whatever it is, we're against it"
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Posted by Peter Carpenter, a resident of the Atherton: Lindenwood neighborhood, on Feb 8, 2013 at 4:50 pm
Peter Carpenter is a member (registered user) of Almanac Online Fred - the tomato throwers have now moved on to another project:
Web Link
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Posted by Menlo Voter, a resident of the Menlo Park: other neighborhood, on Feb 8, 2013 at 4:55 pm The real objectors to the Bevmo were Beltramos and Draegers. They didn't want anyone messing with their ability to sell alcohol at obscene prices. After the disgusting behaviour of Beltramos management, ORDERING their employees to go to the city council meeting to speak against Bevmo, I haven't set foot in their establishment. And I won't in the future. The Beltramos seem to think they have some lock on my alcohol expenditures. They don't and I'll drive up to K&L for the unusual items that Bevmo doesn't stock.
Serious miscalculation on the part of Beltramos.
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Posted by SteveC, a resident of the Menlo Park: Downtown neighborhood, on Feb 8, 2013 at 6:01 pm
SteveC is a member (registered user) of Almanac Online Never did shop @ Dragers for me bevmo items. Have not shopped @ Beltromos since Bevomo opened, and will not. Bevomo has been a good place to shop and the prices r right and i do no have to go to Redwood City and my sales taxes stay in Menlo. Wonderful!!!!!
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Posted by Hmmm, a resident of another community, on Feb 9, 2013 at 11:19 am I love the BevMo. I refuse to shop at Beltramo's, as does my family in Menlo. We've stayed loyal to K&L as well & happily bypass the Big B to shop there.
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