Telegraph Avenue Zoning Ordinance Modification to Allow Alcoholic Beverage Retail Sales

The Berkeley City Council will meet next Tuesday to discuss a modification to the zoning ordinance in the Telegraph Avenue Commercial District, which would allow for alcoholic beverage retail sales. District 7 Councilmember Cecilia Lunaparra introduced the item, citing that the restriction on alcohol sales has prevented large retail grocery stores from setting up shop in the area. The modification aims to attract larger grocery retailers to the Southside neighborhood, currently dominated by dispensaries and boba shops, which has been described as a "food desert" since the closure of Sam's Market in 2018.

Key Takeaways:

• The proposed zoning ordinance modification would allow for alcoholic beverage retail sales in the Telegraph Avenue Commercial District, which is currently prohibited.
• According to Councilmember Cecilia Lunaparra, several grocery retailers have indicated that they would be more likely to expand into the Southside neighborhood if the alcohol restrictions were lifted.
• The Southside neighborhood has been described as a "food desert" since the closure of Sam's Market in 2018, and residents are seeking a robust, small-business-driven economy.
• Councilmember Mark Humbert argues that the current restrictions are "a bit archaic and silly" and that allowing alcohol sales is necessary for a full-service grocery store to thrive on Telegraph Avenue.
• According to Ayushi Deokule, Product Coordinator at the Berkeley Student Food Collective, high rents and perceptions of crime in the area may be deterrents for larger grocery retailers.
• The proposed modification would not address the underlying issues facing the Southside neighborhood, according to Noven of the Berkeley Student Food Collective.

Statistics:

• Since 1873, UC Berkeley's campus has been relocated from Downtown Oakland, and the city has made efforts to decrease alcohol consumption surrounding campus.
• Retail businesses in the district have been issued licenses to sell alcohol as far back as 1990 and as recently as 2023.
• All permits currently on the books for retail businesses in the district are set to expire in 2025 or 2026.
• Sam's Market, a grocery store in the Southside neighborhood, closed in 2018.

Sources:

• Councilmember Cecilia Lunaparra's email
• Councilmember Mark Humbert's email
• Ayushi Deokule, Product Coordinator at the Berkeley Student Food Collective's email
• J. Noven, Director of the Berkeley Student Food Collective's email
• Resolution from the Berkeley City Council recommending that UC Berkeley's campus be relocated from Downtown Oakland in 1873.