CITY WON'T FIGHT ALCOHOL SALES AT STORE.

Byline: Amy Collins Daily News Staff Writer

The 99 -cents Only store that opened in Newhall last week will face no opposition from the Santa Clarita City Council in its bid to sell beer and wine near Wiley Canyon Elementary.

``We really don't have jurisdiction over this,'' Councilwoman Jo Anne Darcy said Wednesday.

When a majority of the council members indicated they would not interfere with the Alcoholic Beverage Control's decision on whether to issue a license, the motion died Tuesday night with the council taking no action.

Even Councilwoman Jill Klajic, who said Wednesday she would prefer to see the whole city alcohol-free, said the 99 -cents store has the legal right to sell beer and wine if the ABC issues a permit.

``I don't think we should target one particular business,'' Klajic said.

Valencia Hills resident Sally Swiatek, who picketed the store's grand opening and gathered a petition of 650 signatures of people opposing alcohol sales at the store, said she was disappointed with the council's decision.

``I really feel strong . . . that they were not in tune at all to the concerns of the residents, but were respectful of the business,'' said Swiatek, who plans to call for a protest hearing if ABC awards the permit.

Mayor Clyde Smyth said Wednesday he was inclined to favor the position of the Newhall School District board, which sent a letter raising concerns about another store selling alcohol close to the elementary school.

Swiatek said the 99 -cents Only Stores will attract more crime to the neighborhood through its sale of low-cost alcohol. ``They carefully strategize putting their stores in communities that are at risk,'' Swiatek said, noting that the area was originally included in the city's proposed redevelopment district.

Henry Miller, the director of community relations for 99 -cents Only Stores, said Swiatek has raised a number of untrue allegations about the company.

``We want value-conscious family shoppers,'' he said Wednesday morning while walking up and down the Newhall store's aisles pointing out numerous name-brand products.

He emphasized that the store is big, clean, well-lighted and has no intention of becoming a haven for crime or transients searching for a bargain buzz.

This is the Commerce-based company's 46th store, said Miller, who is a resident of Canyon Country. The 15-year-old 99 -cents Only Stores devotes a small portion of its shelf space to alcohol, less than 1 percent of the total space, Miller said. But the company hopes to attract the Trader Joe's crowd to the store for the hard-to-find and discounted alcohol.

An official with ABC said Wednesday a preliminary report on the 99 -cents Only Stores application should be complete next week.