BOARDMAN Voters just say no to alcohol sales

There were 22 township liquor issues on the ballot.
By JOHN W. GOODWIN JR.
VINDICATOR STAFF WRITER
BOARDMAN -- Township residents made it known that they have, for the most part, had their fill of beer and wine sales here.
With nearly two dozen issues and new permit requests on Tuesday's ballot, residents approved requests for only two locations. The Beer X-Press Stop on Lockwood Boulevard now has a permit to sell beer; and alcohol sales seven days a week were approved for Youngstown Sports Grille on Boardman-Canfield Road.
The other 20 issues and request for convenience stores, grocery stores, restaurants and gas stations all failed. Two of those requests would have allowed the township's two Giant Eagle grocery stores to operate liquor stores.
Trustee Tom Costello said residents have become much more cognizant of alcohol issues in the community and the number of requests being placed on each ballot. He said many residents have said the township can support only a limited number of establishments that furnish alcohol.
Part of what has happened is a heightened awareness for the number of businesses here.
"You can get to a point where you just simply have too many. I really believe that, and that can have a negative effect on the community," Costello said. "When I look at these cases, many didn't just lose. They lost substantially."
Sam's Club controversy
A permit request by Sam's Club for beer, wine, mixed drinks and Sunday sales was narrowly defeated with slightly more than 50 percent of voters rejecting it. The request was for 6361 South Ave., a vacant lot. Sam's Club is now located at 7461 South Ave.
The Sam's Club here, much to the chagrin of many area grocers, has submitted written interest in moving out of its present location and building a 150,000-square-foot Super Sam's a few blocks north at South Avenue and Meadow Lane.
Sam's Club has not filed an official request with the township. John Bisio, with the Sam's Club community affairs office, has said the move is in the early planning stages and nothing has been decided.
The current Sam's Club location has a permit to sell beer and wine. Costello said he cannot speculate on how much money is generated from alcohol sales at that location but that the company was definitely interested in continuing alcohol sales if a new store were to be built.
Bisio could not be reached to comment and Costello would not say whether the alcohol permit failure would likely put the brakes on a new Sam's Club here.
A group calling itself Concerned Citizens of Boardman and Poland has called a press conference for 4:30 p.m. Monday on the proposed new Sam's Club site to talk about the potential move.
jgoodwin@vindy.com