By denying an appeal from two residents on Tuesday night, the City Council cleared the way for the Saltwater Deck concession stand to begin selling beer and wine at Junipero Beach.

Saltwater Deck’s alcohol permit was being challenged by residents who argued the stand is too close to a playground and that sales of beer and wine on the beach were not in step with the city laws.

The permit was approved by the Planning Commission in July and the City Council voted 7-1 to deny the appeal and uphold the permit Tuesday. While it is in the coastal zone and projects in that zone generally require approval from the California Coastal Commission, the city controls alcohol permitting for this project.

Saltwater Deck is one of the operators awarded contracts to work out of the newly renovated beach concession stands and has been open at the Junipero Beach location for over a year.

Its owner, Amy Kolb, said that customers often ask why they don’t have alcohol for sale and then ask for directions to the closest location where they can buy a drink.

“As a small business owner, it hurts to lose their business,” Kolb said Tuesday.

Melinda Cotton, one of the people challenging the permit, said that the approval process did not account for safety issues caused by allowing beer and wine to be sold close to a body of water.

“This does not have to do with Saltwater Deck, this has to do with the serving of alcohol on our beaches,” Cotton said.

Council members were sympathetic to the opposition and pledged to have a report about the results of their decision presented to them in 12 months.

Councilmember Stacy Mungo Flanigan said that she had been dealing with a similar balancing of needs with business operators looking to open concession stands in El Dorado Park.

“When balancing the alcohol license, you’re often asking if it’s worth it to have the concession at all,” Mungo Flanigan said of the high margins provided by alcohol sales.

There will be restrictions on Saltwater Deck including alcohol sales having to end an hour before the shop closes and customers being required to purchase food before buying alcohol.

People who do purchase beer or wine will have to stay within a roped-off area on the west side of the concession stand, and the cups the beverages are served in must be clear plastic and have a recognizable logo.

Acting director of Development Services Chris Koontz pointed out the city will have additional power to enforce the rules outside of being the one that approved the permit.

“We’re also their landlord so we have some additional leverage that we wouldn’t have in other third-party situations,” Koontz said

The much larger Alamitos Beach concession stand that has yet to open is also approved for alcohol sales once it’s up and running.

City Council to hear appeal over alcohol sales at Junipero Beach concession stand