Wal-Mart's application to transfer ownership of a liquor license met with opposition during the March 25 Anchorage Assembly meeting. Led by Assemblyman Bill Starr, the body voted to protest the store's application to transfer ownership of the liquor license from the Circle S grocery store on North Birchwood Loop to the Wal-Mart Superstore.

"If we didn't come out against the license transfer now, it would have been approved by default," Starr said. "It's not that there is a move to prevent Wal-Mart from acquiring a liquor license, it just needs to be done appropriately to allow the public an opportunity to have their say."

Starr said there were major discrepancies in the application for transfer Wal-Mart submitted.

"The application contained some incorrect data and was lacking the required conditional-use permit to operate a liquor store," Starr said. "The distance of Gruening Middle School is listed as being closer than the Lighthouse Baptist Church, which is right across the street, I don't believe that to be accurate."

According to the application, the distance from Wal-Mart to Gruening is 1,584 feet, and the distance to the Baptist church is 3,168 feet.

"I'm not sure if they measured to Joy Lutheran Church or if they got the two measurements mixed up," Starr said. "But before we vote on this at the Assembly, we need to make sure that the application we are considering is accurate. It appears that the application was made without Wal-Mart doing any diligence to get the appropriate data.

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