City of Long Beach - File #: 15-0598

• File #: 15-0598
• Version: 2
• Name: DS - Moratorium/new exemptions for CUPEX alcohol-related uses
• Type: Ordinance
• Status: Adopted
• File created: 6/18/2015
• In control: City Council
• On agenda: 7/14/2015
• Final action: 7/14/2015
• Title: Recommendation to declare ordinance amending the Long Beach Municipal Code by amending Table 32-1 and Table 32-1A, all relating to removal of Conditional Use Permit Exemptions for alcoholic beverage sales, read and adopted as read. (Citywide)
• Sponsors: Development Services
• Related files: 15-029PL

Date	Ver.	Action By	Action	Result
7/14/2015	2	City Council	approve recommendation and adopt	Pass
7/7/2015	1	City Council	declare ordinance read the first time and laid over to the next regular meeting of the City Council for final reading	Pass

TITLE
Recommendation to declare ordinance amending the Long Beach Municipal Code by amending Table 32-1 and Table 32-1A, all relating to removal of Conditional Use Permit Exemptions for alcoholic beverage sales, read and adopted as read. (Citywide)

DISCUSSION
On April 21, 2015, the City Council imposed a 120-day moratorium that currently prohibits the issuance of Conditional Use Permit Exemptions (CUPEx) for alcohol sales at commercially zoned properties in the City with the exception of restaurants with alcoholic beverage service with meals and grocery stores. The City Council also directed staff to undertake a study on the propriety of amending the City’s Zoning Code and/or business regulations related to CUPExs.

Staff researched various cities, including Los Angeles, Santa Monica and San Diego, to determine how each city processes requests for alcohol-related sales and, more specifically, what types of alcohol sales are exempted from a Conditional Use Permit process. Following is a comparison between Long Beach’s current exemptions, contained in Tables 32-1 and 32-1A of the Zoning Code, and exemptions allowed by the other cities surveyed:


Comparison of Alcohol Sales Exemptions between Long Beach and Selected Cities:

City Restaurants w/alcoholic beverage service with meals (no fixed bar) Uses located more than 500’ from a residentially zoned property Department store or florist with accessory sales of alcohol Grocery stores of 20,000 sq. ft. or more with accessory sales Existing, legal nonconform-ing uses
Long Beach Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes
Los Angeles No No No No Yes
Santa Monica Varies w/zone No No No Yes
San Diego Yes (limited) No >15,000 sq. ft. >15,000 sq. ft. Yes

Although the information shows that the regulations for each city vary, it clearly indicates that the City of Long Beach allows more exemptions for alcohol sales than the other cities. For example, the existing code allows for the issuance of a CUPEx for a use that is separated from a r...