Neighbors in North Portland's Piedmont neighborhood are concerned and angry. The Oregon liquor control commission is considering a change for a local conveince store. It would allow the sale of low priced drinks with a high alcohol content. Neighbors are worried crime will come right along with the beverages.

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Residents of Portland's Piedmont neighborhood worry more alcohol means more crime.

“It's a children's playground within 500 well within 200 feet really of the front doors”, says Piedmont resident Linda Aruda.

"I would genuinely not feel safe coming home at night,” worries resident Rae Selvey.

They gather in a coffee shop that recent saw it’s window shattered by a gunman’s bullet. Sitting there they wonder how anyone could say the crime in their neighborhood is gone.

"It takes two hands to count the number of times I've had to call for disturbances of drunk people on the street”, says Selvey.

No, it’s not like the early 90’s. Homicides are no longer common. Gang shootings don’t happen every day.

“The neighborhood is improving by leaps and bounds”, says Piedmont resident Justin Meier.

It’s take a lot of hard work. Those who’ve put in the time worry the smallest change could become the tipping point.

"If you don't take due care and diligence and respect for where you've come it doesn't take much to get you back to where you were”, says business owner Eleza Faison.

The pendulum swings around the Civic Food Mart ague neighbors. Years ago, before the Oregon Liquor Control Commission implemented restrictions on their liquor license, the store was the neighborhood’s hub for criminal behavior.

“Then I took over in 1999”, says former owner Tae Ho Lee. Lee says over the past nine years, he’s worked hard too. He’s run what he considers to be an upstanding business. Though he just sold the store, he says he’s helping the new owner with the transition. Part of that assistance includes bolstering the bottom line. Part of bolstering the bottom line includes offering stronger alcohol to a now improved neighborhood.

"Bad people moving out, good people staying” says lee.

OLCC staff sees it Lee’s way. They have the ability to impose restrictions on Civic’s liquor license due to problems in the area, but currently they don’t feel the problems exist.

"We looked at the level of crime in the area as it stands right now and we really didn't find that. We could apply that problem area criteria to this,” says Dan McNeal with the OLCC.

Despite fifty-three letters of opposition, including one from Portland police chief Rosie Seizer, the OLCC is recommending restoring the license to unrestricted status.

Will this be the tipping point backwards? Or, will it be the turning point forward around the final bend of a violent past?

The OLCC board of commissioners will make the final decision following a public hearing April 18th.