The Village of Peoria Heights has deferred disciplinary action for a local liquor store accused of selling alcohol to those under 21 in exchange for its commitment to comply with the law regarding underage alcohol purchases and to clean up the property.
The Village alleges that Super Liquors, 818 E. War Memorial Drive, sold alcohol to individuals under age 21 on the dates of March 15 and March 22, 2023. Beyond that, after following up on citizen complaints, Village officials expressed concern over “nuisance behavior” at the establishment including “loitering and illegal activity occurring in the parking lot and at the ATM near the entrance to the business.”
As a result, Super Liquors President Saminder Chandhok faced the possibility of suspension or revocation of his liquor license at a Village hearing scheduled for April 27. Ultimately, that hearing was put off as Village officials reached an accommodation with Super Liquors that requires the business to:
Provide training and supervision for all employees who operate cash registers at the liquor store to ensure that no alcohol is sold to individuals under age 21;
Take proactive steps to monitor and police the parking lot at the premises;
Respond immediately to complaints communicated to liquor store personnel by the Peoria Heights Police Department;
Generally clean up and improve the premises through enhanced landscaping, signage and lighting, as well as the possible installation of outdoor cameras.
That memorandum of understanding between the Village and the business fundamentally establishes a six-month probation period for Super Liquors to abide by those “binding conditions” or face potential fines and/or liquor license suspension or revocation following written notice of any alleged violations and a future public hearing. If, however, the conditions are met in that time frame, “the charges that gave rise to the hearing will be permanently dismissed.”
Mark Walton, the Village’s attorney, expressed confidence that “the owners want to cooperate” and that the agreement is potentially “a win-win” for both parties. “They have a great location and there’s a lot of opportunity for this business,” he said. “We can be partners and help each other succeed.”
Super Liquors attorney Seth Uphoff said that his client was anxious to “move forward and put this incident behind us,” while building “goodwill with the city.”