Store co-founder Steve McLaren wants to locate his business in the former Barbarella space on Lincoln Avenue, next to Subway restaurant. He's asking the city for two approvals: a public drinking establishment (a wine- and beer-tasting area), with off-site sales of alcohol.

The outcome of that decision will determine whether McLaren goes forward with his plans. If McLaren does not receive approval for both permits, he would not open the store.

At the well-attended meeting, McLaren went forward, outlining his proposal to the residents and explaining why he thought downtown Willow Glen was a good location.

Based on a marketing survey, McLaren said, there are 4,500 households within the Willow Glen area that shop at other Beverages & More in the area.

"This would just be more convenient," he said.

The average size of a Beverages & More is between 6,000 and 27,000 square feet; however, this site would only be 4,800 square feet.

McLaren acknowledges receiving emails, phone calls and mail about his plans, and said residents expressed four primary concerns: national chains in the downtown area, competition for small businesses, parking and "retaining the feel" of Willow Glen.

He wanted people to know that, for starters, Beverages & More is not a national chain.

"We are a state company and are still family-owned," McLaren said.

He also pointed out that Beverages & More sells a different product than the other downtown merchants.

McLaren said, "Since 1994, no alcohol retail competitor has gone out of business because of a Beverages & More store."

He said that the other stores in Willow Glen carry more boutique-style wines, referring to locally owned Willow Glen Liquors, the Grapevine and the recently opened Wine Styles on Lincoln Avenue.

"I probably don't carry 75 percent of their wines," McLaren said. "Their business is different than ours."

He did admit that parking along Lincoln Avenue is problematic.

There are 61 parking spaces behind the proposed location, which are also used by tenants in the Garden Theater, Subway, Blockbluster and Aqui's. Zoning requires only 26 spots for Beverages & More.

As to Willow Glen's "quaint feel," McLaren said, "We are not changing anything but the addition of a second door as an exit. We're just bringing it up to code."

Although McLaren tried to reassure residents, Willow Glen resident Diane Solomon was not convinced.

"We don't need more liquor stores here," Solomon said. "It's a big-box store, and we're a small-box neighborhood."

Her comments were greeted with applause and backed by others.

"Willow Glen is not the place for this store," Willow Glen resident Marybeth Afleck-Nacey said. "I moved here because of the charms of Willow Glen, and Beverages & More does not fit in."

Afleck-Nacey said Willow Glen is at a crossroads.

"Will we be a destination town like Sunset Magazine describes us as, or will we become another Stevens Creek Boulevard?" she said.

Doris Frank Liu, who spoke on behalf of the owner of Willow Glen Liquors, added, "Willow Glen has always been made up of specialty shops, and this draws shoppers because of their uniqueness," Liu said.

But not everyone agreed.

Dennis Reid lives within the 1,000-foot radius of the proposed Beverages & More and thinks Willow Glen is being passed up by other businesses.

"There are many empty storefronts in downtown Willow Glen, which is a pretty anemic place," he said.

Willow Glen resident Erika Friedman agreed that there is a lack of vibrancy in the downtown and said, "I hate walking past the empty storefronts. But this is a pedestrian neighborhood, not a car neighborhood, and you need a car to shop at Beverages & More."

Grapevine co-owner Cara Finn also questioned the area's saturation of liquor stores.

"I feel the avenue was big enough, but where do we draw the circle? If this isn't saturation, is the next wine shop it?"

Landlord Michael Mulcahy told residents, "We need to have a balance between regional, national and local stores."

He cited Bella James moving into the Garden Theater because of Starbucks as a good example of co-existence between businesses.

Mulcahy said bringing a variety of businesses to Willow Glen will help its downtown achieve more of this synergy.

But residents were not happy about his choice with Beverages & More and asked if he had received other offers. Just one other, he said.

"The space is challenging to rent," Mulcahy said. "The building stayed on the market for more than a few years before Barbarella moved in."

Mulcahy was surprised by the community outcry, and said he has the same "wish list" for businesses as residents when it comes to meeting the needs of the community and retaining the ambiance of the downtown area.

Willow Glen Neighborhood Association President Ed Rast said the community needs to get together to figure out the future of the downtown business district.

"We need to create circumstances so that the desirable stores will be more willing to come in," he said.