Council to take another look at distances between liquor stores

The minimum distance between liquor stores in Edmonton is up for debate again.

City council’s urban planning committee Tuesday crafted a motion to review the bylaw. Current rules ban any new liquor store from opening within 500 metres of an existing store.

The issue arose after the Katz Group asked for a special exemption to open a liquor store in the Ice District about 30 metres from an existing store near the corner of 102 Street and 103 Avenue.

Supporters of the 500-metre rule argue reducing the distance might increase social disorder.

“My concern is we are using distance between stores as an answer

to solve problems that are much more complex,” said downtown Coun. Scott McKeen. “Social disorder, substance abuse — those are complex issues.”

Competition, he said, may help get rid of the lowest common denominator and cheapest liquor stores, paving the way for highcalibre stores that would act more responsibly.

“I’m not sure that this blunt tool we are using of 500-metre distance between liquor stores has accomplished what we really want,” he said.

The city’s 500-metre rule has been contentious for years, eliciting strong responses from both sides of the issue. Critics say it prevents healthy competition by blocking new stores, while backers say it prevents the proliferation of liquor stores, especially in areas where pawnshops and cash stores already exist.

“I’m dead fast against a change of rules,” said Dirk Chan, a partner at deVine Wines, 10111 104 St.

The economy is not good and increasing the number of stores might simply sound the death knell for a number of small businesses, he said.

McKeen said he is sympathetic to deVine Wines, but added it is not council’s role to restrict competition.

The issue should be looked at in context, said Ivonne Martinez, president of the Alberta Liquor Store Association.

Downtown already has seven liquor stores, all obeying the 500-metre limit, she said.

With downtown having homeless shelters, panhandlers and people with addiction issues, more liquor stores may become gathering areas, thereby causing issues, Martinez said.

“When you have a cluster of liquor stores together, then the issue is complicated,” she said.

With density downtown increasing, Coun. Michael Walters said the area cannot be measured or treated the same way as other neighbourhoods.

“Some neighbourhoods may need more liquor stores than other neighbourhoods because there’s more people,” he said.