Tinku Juneja has withdrawn his appeal of the Claremont Planning Commission’s denial of his request to establish a 7-Eleven convenience store in Claremont.
On Mar. 2, Juneja requested permission to open a 7-Eleven in the vacant building located at 601 East Foothill Boulevard. When his request was turned down, he took immediate action and filed an appeal of the decision.
A city council hearing was scheduled for Mar. 23, but the appeal was withdrawn before the hearing.
Although the business met all requirements for a conditional use permit, as stated by council member Peter Yao, a majority of Claremont residents were still opposed to allowing the business to open.
In addition to complaints made by city staff at a Mar. 1 community meeting—including the potential for increased crime and loitering and the dangerous nature of that particular intersection—Mayor Pro Tem Linda Elderkin raised concerns about the sale of alcohol so close to the Claremont Colleges.
Although Juneja proposed a compromise in which the 7-Eleven would not sell alcohol, Economic Development Officer Damien Arrula said the majority of citizens still opposed the store.
The Claremont Police Department claimed there was no evidence that a 7-Eleven would cause an increase in crime, based on research on 7-Eleven and other convenience stores in neighboring cities. However, he also said there was no way to guarantee no crime would occur if the location were granted a permit.