Santa Maria's planning commission voted 3-1 to deny a permit that would have allowed Regal Edwards to sell beer and wine at its Santa Maria theater.
The Sept. 16 meeting drew public comment from members of Fighting Back Santa Maria Valley's Youth Action Coalition, a group of students who had been tracking the application since it was first proposed last December.
"As a youth in our community, I see the movie theater as a safe place for me and my friends to go watch a movie and I wouldn't want a drunk person ruining it for us," Diego Ramirez, a Youth Action Coalition member, said.
Fellow coalition member Juan Martinez raised concerns about access to alcohol by minors.
"There might also be possibilities that intoxicated adults may offer alcohol to underage minors," Martinez said.
"The movie theater is meant to be a safe place for you and your friends to hang out," coalition member Khloee Hernandez said.
Coalition member Jasmin Altamirano cited local DUI data during her comments.
"There are more DUIs happening each month. According to the SMPD, there were 74 DUIs in June, 76 in July and 77 in August," Altamirano said.
Gabi Delgado (Youth Action Coalition advisor), Juan Martinez (Youth Action Coalition member), Diego Ramirez (Youth Action Coalition member), Khloee Hernandez (Youth Action Coalition member), Jasmin Altamirano (Youth Action Coalition member), Yuliana Vega (Youth Action Coalition advisor)
When the coalition learned about Regal's application last December, students sent public comments to the California Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control, and the organization filed a letter of opposition.
Gabriella Delgado, an advisor with Fighting Back Santa Maria Valley, said the group's concerns were focused specifically on alcohol at the theater.
"We really appreciate the Regal theater — we appreciate how great it is in our community," Delgado said.
"Our concern was with alcohol and the theater itself," Delgado said.
Regal Entertainment Group spokesperson Steve Rawlings presented the company's case to commissioners.
"Regal theater has approximately 55 in the state of California and several hundred nationwide," Rawlings said.
Rawlings said the Santa Maria theater would follow the practices Regal uses at its other locations.
"Less than 10 percent of the adults who attend the theater will purchase an alcoholic beverage, and of those, fewer than 10 percent will make a second purchase," Rawlings said.
He told commissioners drinks would be sold in the lobby and allowed into auditoriums, with staff checking each theater at least every 30 minutes.
Edwin Weaver, executive director of Fighting Back Santa Maria Valley, spoke to the broader impact of the proposal.
"If you're working on your sobriety, if you're a family that wants to go to the movies, you don't want to be around alcohol. You can't go to the movies in Santa Maria," Weaver said.
According to Interim Principal Planner Cody Graybehl, commissioners' primary concerns included the potential effects of adding alcohol to a mall with youth-centered activities — including a gymnastics space and an arcade — and the challenge of monitoring consumption inside the theater.
No one spoke in favor of the permit during public comment. One community member said they were split on the issue but declined an on-camera interview.
Delgado said the students stayed through the hours-long meeting to hear the commission's decision.
"A lot of people think that younger students are future leaders, but in reality they are leaders in our community right now," Delgado said.
I reached out to the theater to ask whether it plans to appeal or take further action but have not heard back.
