Residents Discuss Alcohol Sales Across From Diamond Bar High School

A handful of residents attended a community meeting Monday night to discuss the submission of a municipal code amendment application to lift the ban on alcohol sales within 150 feet of Diamond Bar High School.

The application came from Mo Salimnia, the owner of the Chevron at 21324 Pathfinder Road, across from DBHS. 

King Woods, a land development consultant retained by Salimnia, said a number of conditions have been attached with the application sent to the city’s planning commission, including suspension of the sale of beer and wine prior to 4 p.m.  

Alcohol sales will be restricted to between 4 and 10 p.m. seven days a week, and the business owner has also agreed not to sell fortified wines. Additionally, he has agreed to have an electronic device which detects forged identifications available on site.

“We think these conditions will probably mitigate any concerns that neighbors may have, but we still wanted to get input from the community,” said Woods.

Residents at the forum seemed to mostly be in support of the project. 

“I see no reason not to have it, especially if he’s going to be limiting the hours he’s selling alcohol,” said resident Jean Whitzman. 

“If you look throughout Diamond Bar, almost every service station which sells beer and wine and has a legitimate mini-market has a school nearby, everyone knows that in the last couple of years, the number of private schools in the area has increased,” said Woods, adding he’s experienced a sense of overwhelming support from residents and has collected 315 signatures in favor of the application.

Woods cited the Shell station and mini-market located on the corner of Brea Canyon Road and Diamond Bar Boulevard as precedent; there are three adjacent schools (a music school, a dance academy, and a Montessori school) to the station, where beer and wine sales are allowed. There is also a liquor store in the commercial center located at Pathfinder Road and Brea Canyon Road where a K-9 extended school is adjacent to the store.

“This gentleman just wants fair treatment,” he said.

Carolyn Jackson, a longtime Diamond Bar resident, said her children are at the age where they will be attending the high school soon, and had concerns over the sale of alcohol within the proximity of DBHS.

“Even though this is a quiet community, I do have some mixed feelings about the sale of alcohol so close to the schools, but it appears at least they are taking some measures of control," she said.

Woods addressed Jackson’s concerns and those of every other resident objecting saying, “We don’t think we’re going to be that much of an impact since sales will occur after school hours and the sale of alcohol will be for off-site consumption only.”

“I served customers in this location for 20 years and I have never had any violations,” said Salimnia. “I’ve sold cigarettes, and in some respects those are even more dangerous.”

Woods said if necessary, a second meeting regarding the project and any questions residents still had would be scheduled at a future date.