By denying an appeal from two residents on Tuesday night, the City Council cleared the way for the Saltwater Deck (@saltwaterdeck) 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. For the full story click the link in our bio, where you can also sign up for our newsletters and become a member to support local journalism #longbeach #saltwaterdeck