By Lori Carlson, Editor 

Prior Lake’s liquor store owners are hoping to fight off an attempt by a mega liquor warehouse to open a shop in the city.

Kevin Bresnahan, owner of Dakota Liquors at County Road 42 and Highway 13, is particularly concerned. His store is exactly 340 feet away from the spot MGM Liquor Warehouse is eyeing – a strip mall on Commerce Avenue currently occupied by Asian Market, Sam Dalal’s State Farm Insurance office, Shear Performers hair salon and H&R Block.

City Manager Frank Boyles confirmed this week that MGM has applied for an off-sale liquor license and is interested in occupying the building.

A message left at MGM’s corporate offices in St. Paul was not returned this week.

The Prior Lake City Council likely would consider the application at an upcoming meeting, said Boyles. However, Boyles said he believes that the council probably will first consider a request made earlier this month by Bresnahan, who asked the council to consider an ordinance barring liquor stores from being closer than a half mile from each other.

Bresnahan made the request at the council’s June 2 meeting. At the time, he’d heard the MGM rumors, he said. A week later, MGM applied for an off-sale license in the city.

The council hasn’t acted on Bresnahan’s request, but city staff is looking into the possibility of such an ordinance.

“It’s worthwhile to look at the number of on- and off-sale licenses we issue,” Councilman Ken Hedberg said.

Bresnahan’s store already competes with the nearby Marketplace Liquor on County Road 42, but that store is in Savage. His store sits near the only Prior Lake corner of the intersection of County Road 42 and Highway 13.

“The three other corners are in Savage, so we can’t really affect anything there,” Councilman Chad LeMair said.

Bresnahan and Village Liquor owner Cindy Boegeman said they’re concerned not only about the competition MGM would bring, but also the fact that it’s a big-box liquor retailer.

“We’re small-town. Cindyand I have been running businesses with our families for over 20 years,” Bresnahan said. “We’ve given back to the community.

“Now, we’ve got this corporate Wal-Mart coming in that doesn’t give a rip about the community.”

Bresnahan feels like he’s having déjà vu. In 1981, when he operated a liquor store in Burnsville, he successfully convinced that city’s council to approve a rule that free-standing liquor stores had to be at least 1 mile apart. He succeeded again in getting the council to uphold the rule six years ago.

He and Boegeman, whose store is next to Village Market off Highway 13, a few miles south of the spot MGM is considering, pointed out that other cities have ordinances restricting the location of liquor stores.

“Other cities have rules based on mileage or population,” Boegeman said. “Prior Lake has nothing.”

Brooklyn Park passed an ordinance requiring liquor stores to be at least 1,000 feet apart, while Coon Rapids has a 1-mile radius requirement.

The city of Savage, which has two municipally operated stores, opened Marketplace Liquor on County Road 42 seven years ago. Bresnahan said the store “took 50 percent of my business, and I’ve worked seven years to get that back.”

With a mammoth liquor retailer 340 feet away, Bresnahan said he’s worried about being overshadowed. He’s also concerned about the number of liquor stores allowed in town.

“To let a corporation come in when there’s four of us already – the town’s size doesn’t warrant it,” he said, pointing out that Apple Valley, whose population is more than twice that of Prior Lake, only has two liquor stores.

Bresnahan and Boegeman are offering petitions about the half-mile radius request at their stores for people to sign.

In addition to the half-mile restriction, Bresnahan also would like the council to determine whether Kids Count Daycare can be considered a school. The daycare is directly across the street from the strip mall where MGM would open. City ordinance prohibits bars and liquor stores from opening within 300 feet of a school or a church.

Heather McCaustlin, director and owner of Kids Count, said she’s “very concerned” about MGM’s application. The daycare serves 96 children daily, and the kids often play on the playground in front of the building, just across the street from the strip mall.

“We’re concerned about the additional traffic and the clientele it may bring,” she said.

Though the daycare is not a licensed school within a school district, it is licensed through the state as a daycare and learning center, she said. The daycare offers a preschool curriculum.

This week, employees at Asian Market said they had heard the MGM rumor but had not heard any details. A call to a representative of the property company, Carleton Properties, was not returned this week.

At press time, Bresnahan was trying to get the city to postpone an expected July 9 council discussion about his request – and the MGM proposal – because he said the week before and after July 4 is the busiest time of year for liquor store owners.

“MGM is trying to push this through on the worst week of the year for us. All of us single owners are working,” he said.

 Lori Carlson can be reached at (952) 345-6378 or editor@plamerican.com.