By Paul Thompson

Northeast News

The Save-A-Lot grocery store at 3821 Truman has submitted an application for a new alcoholic beverage license.

In order to be approved without a public hearing, Save-A-Lot has 45 days from October 27 to collect signatures of consent from a majority of the 21 eligible property owners that fall within a 350-foot radius.

“We had to go out a distance of 350 feet,” said Joe Hodgin of Kansas City, Missouri’s Regulated Industries Division. “There has to be a minimum of 15 consenters, and we had to go out in 100-foot increments until we got to that amount.”

According to Hodgin, the application was originally submitted on October 4. Save-A-Lot joins a recent trend of Truman Road businesses angling for liquor licenses. The Phillips 66 station at 4300 E. Truman Rd. was recently approved for a conditional license which requires all liquor to be stored behind the counter, dictates that no liquor be sold after midnight from Sunday to Thursday or after 1 a.m. on weekends, bans smoking accessories (pipes, pipe cleaners, rolling papers) from being sold on the premises, and requires “no loitering” and “no trespass” signs to be posted on site.

According to Hodgin, the owner of the former Roberts Market site at 4511 E. Truman Rd. has also obtained the consent of nearby property owners to pursue a liquor license.

“They’re still working on getting their contingency items in, and they have until the 7th of November to do that,” said Hodgin, who added that the owners are still eligible for an extension as they work to complete their paperwork.

Dick Bassett of the Truman Rd. Community Improvement District (CID) told the Northeast News that the CID opposed the issuance of liquor licenses at both 4300 and 4511 E. Truman Rd., though he added that the board hadn’t yet taken a formal stance on Save-A-Lot’s application.

“It was a board decision,” said Bassett. “They felt there was enough alcohol on the street; I think that was the primary reason.”

Truman Rd. CID board chairman Ed Heilman took a firmer stance when reached on the afternoon of Tuesday, October 24, stating that the CID is likely to oppose Save-A-Lot’s application, as well.

“If they come to us as a CID and ask for our support, then we’ll respectfully decline,” Heilman said. “We think there’s enough liquor available already in the neighborhood.”

The Northeast News has reached out to Save-A-Lot for their perspective on the liquor license application, but was still awaiting a response from management at the time of publication. This story will be updated if and when a response is provided.