Swanson’s has announced that it’s joining the race for Bethel’s third and final liquor store license. As of Friday, the state says that they have not received an application from the business to turn the old furniture store into a liquor shop. If they do, Swanson’s will join Kusko Liquor, Tundra Liquor Cache, and Alaska Commercial Company in the competition.
Cliff Linderoth is a manager at Swanson’s. He’s also a member of the Bethel Planning Commission and he thinks that Swanson’s has a good shot at getting the final license.
“Well, we’ve got a good location down there. Swanson’s is a known entity. It’s got the sufficient setbacks from churches, and alcohol treatment centers, and schools; it's not residential,” he said.
These are all roadblocks other applicants have faced in the past, and with Linderoth’s role on the Planning Commission, he knows them well. The body reviews all of the city’s applications for liquor licenses and votes whether to issue the necessary permits.
“Well, I’ve watched other applicants and the hoops they’ve had to crawl through," he said. "And so, based on that experience, we should be able to cross those hurdles."
All four applications need a conditional use permit from the Planning Commission, on which Linderoth sits. Getting the permit means that the business meets all of the city’s requirements for opening a liquor store, according to the Commission’s judgment.
Kusko Liquor's request for a conditional use permit was blocked by the Commission for lack of parking, but its application will be re-addressed by the Commission in June. Tundra Liquor Cache is also blocked by the Commission for lack of parking, as well for issues with road access and incompatibility with the surrounding neighborhood. Its application will also be re-addressed in June.
Alaska Commercial Company, which already has one of the licenses, just submitted another application last week. Swanson’s application must first be received by the state before it is forwarded to the city for review.
The Bethel Planning Commission can issue an unlimited number of conditional use permits. The state can only issue one more license for a package store in Bethel and said that it will only issue a license to a permitted business at its last meeting .
The Chair of the Planning Commission, Kathy Hanson, says that Linderoth’s role on the body does not give Swanson’s an advantage in securing a permit.
“Well, the hoops you have to jump through are public information," she said, "and what the Planning Commission looks at in the conditional use hearing, that’s all public information.”
Hanson points out that the meetings are also public, and that Linderoth did not participate in the ones involving his competitors. Linderoth did not attend the meeting when the Commission reviewed the application for the Tundra Liquor Cache, and he recused himself from the review of Kusko Liquor’s application because the site sits near land owned by the corporation that owns Swanson’s.
Cezary Maczynski, who owns Kusko Liquor, also does not see Linderoth’s role giving Swanson’s an advantage.
“Oh, that’d be fine," Maczynski said. "I don’t mind. Somebody has to get the other license.”
The other applicants did not return phone calls by the time this story was published.
Going forward, Linderoth says that he’ll recuse himself from participating in future Commission business on liquor store applications.
