Re: Carolina Express Convenience Store
January 18, 2023
Community Agreement Reached
I want to thank all of the stakeholders that helped up get to a place of resolve to ensure we have a store in the community that will be embedded in the fabric of the community. We are hopeful for a business that will be a community store that supports the community - and the community supports it. Many tireless efforts went into this, and we believe this is a gamechanger for the entire city. We must continue fostering a sense of community. This is a major step in the right direction. Thank you, thank you, thank you to everyone. ABC, CAO Lincoln Saunders, RPD, the community and the owner.
We are satisfied that the outcome will give us an opportunity to continue to be able to have a convenience store in the neighborhood that provides services for the residents in the community but also provides very safe business for the community.
The community agreement terms are below. The agreement will be in full effect in the coming days. Some changes have already been made.
1.The applicant will institute a limited parking time of 15 minutes for Customers Only and will install signage to that effect in addition to “No Trespassing” signage. Such signage will be placed in the parking lot and on the front doors of the establishment;
2. The applicant will contract with a towing company to enforce the parking restrictions;
3. The applicant will implement a “no firearms” policy and post appropriate signage prominently on the exterior doors of the establishment;
4. The applicant will remove the following items which are associated with narcotics use in the area: digital scales, glass pipes, splitters/cutters, steel wool or “Chore-boy”, and grinders;
5. The applicant will remove all skill games;
6. The establishment will close at 11pm;
7. The applicant will hire two Department of Criminal Justice Services-certified security guards from 5pm to 11pm on Thursday through Saturday. The licensee will employ one Department of Criminal Justice Services-certified security guard Sunday through Wednesday from 5 pm to 11 pm.
8. The applicant will institute and maintain a ban list of trespassers through the assistance of their Department of Criminal Justice Services-certified security; follow-through with reporting trespassing to law enforcement or obtaining warrants, and any necessary court appearances required for prosecution;
9. The applicant will be on a 12-month period of probation. During the probationary period, if the Chief of the Virginia ABC Bureau of Law Enforcement or the Board finds the licensee to be in violation of this agreement, the Code of Virginia, or board regulations, the licensee shall voluntarily surrender the licenses as revoked. The surrender shall be effective upon notice to the licensee and shall not be subject to appeal;
10. The applicant must install and maintain a surveillance system for both the interior and exterior of the premises including the parking lot and entry doors. An employee must have access to the surveillance footage and be able to provide it to law enforcement at all hours the establishment is open;
11. The applicant will immediately place visual and/or physical barriers in the parking lot to prevent parking on non-designated areas of the parking lot. Within three months of the signing of this Agreement, the licensee will meet with representatives of the Richmond Police Department and Virginia ABC and engage in good-faith efforts to develop a plan to deter loitering and other illegal activity in the parking lot. Such plan shall include a combination of signage, proper parking lot paint markings, and other visual barriers or temporary physical barriers;
12. The applicant will not sell single-serve alcoholic beverages, but the applicant may sell four-packs and larger. Such four-packs may be created by the applicant. After a period of six months, if the Bureau of Law Enforcement provides written confirmation that there have been no violations during the period of probation, the applicant will be allowed to sell single-serve alcoholic beverages until 5 p.m.
13. The applicant will attend at least one Highland Park Quality of Life monthly meeting per three-month time period during the period of probation.
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Ellen F. Robertson, Councilmember (6th District)