The Flossmoor board of trustees unanimously voted down a request for a Class B liquor license from Tornado BP gas station, 3950 Vollmer Road, at the Oct. 6 board meeting. 

Gas station owner Hassan Hussein requested a Class B license allowing the sale of alcohol at retail in the original packages and not for consumption on the premises. 

The previous owner of the gas station had a Class BW license which only allowed packaged beer and wine to be sold. 

Hussein planned for a liquor cooler near the cashier counter and two shelves of liquor near the cooler. The shelf displays would be locked. The customer would have to request the alcohol for purchase. 

During public comment, Flossmoor resident Troy Holmes, who lives close to the gas station, asked the board to take safety into consideration, pointing out that the gas station was robbed Aug. 9. 

Hussein said he made the request because customers at the gas station are asking for alcohol. Trustee Jim Mitros said he found it unusual that customers are asking for alcohol.

“I am definitely against this, but I’m not all the way against it,” Mitros said. “You want beer and wine, the same thing Meijer’s had, I don’t see a problem with that.” 

Trustee Kevin Dorsey inquired about the possible safety concerns that could come about. He asked if employees would go through training situations, and if Hussein has done work like this in the past. 

Hussein said employees would have to go through training from the state, and the gas station has recently purchased a $7,000 security system. 

Trustee George Lofton asked if any other Tornado BP location sells liquor. Hussein said his station would be the first. 

Lofton said Hussein would like to take advantage of business coming from Vollmer Road, I-57 and Kedzie Avenue, which concerns him with the past incidents at that location. 

After the original motion failed, Trustee Mitros asked staff to draft a BW1 license for Tornado BP gas station for the board’s consideration in the future.