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Downtown store gets OK to sell beer, wine
YOUNGSTOWN
A month after the city planning commission rejected a request allowing a proposed downtown convenience store to sell beer and wine for carryout, the group’s members changed their votes.
The reason? Al and Fidaa Musleh, owners of the proposed store at 116 W. Federal St., attended Tuesday’s planning-commission meeting to answer questions about their request.
At that meeting, the commission voted 4-0 to permit the business, which also would be a Mediterranean deli, to sell beer and wine for carryout at the former Plaza Optical location.
The Muslehs failed to attend the commission’s April 19 meeting. The couple said they weren’t notified of the meeting, a reason city officials dispute. At last month’s meeting, the commission rejected the request by a 4-0 vote.
The Muslehs need a waiver to sell carry-out beer and wine because their proposed store is within 500 feet of other regulated-use businesses. Those businesses are a number of nearby bars and restaurants that sell alcoholic beverages and the Public Market convenience store on South Phelps Street.
The store would sell Mediterranean food as well as juices, milk, canned goods and cereal with the primary clientele being those living downtown, Al Musleh said.
The store would sell high-end wine and not beer in 40-ounce bottles, he said.
“This store is needed downtown,” he said.
Councilwoman Annie Gillam, D-1st, spoke Tuesday in favor of the waiver, saying the Muslehs followed the law when they owned other stores in the city.
“They have been good stewards in the city,” said Gillam, whose ward includes downtown. “I’ve been a proponent of good grocery stores. I’ve never had a problem with them. They always ran their store properly.”
The store is expected to open shortly.
Without the waiver, the Muslehs could have opened the downtown store, but would have been unable to sell beer and wine.
City council still needs to ratify the planning commission’s vote.