Apache County liquor license fight in Chambers heads to state review

A proposed liquor license for the Chieftain Mobil at Exit 333 in Chambers has now left Apache County and moved to the Arizona State Liquor Board, putting the final decision in state hands after county supervisors voted unanimously to recommend denial.

The county’s March 3 vote in St. Johns covered Sanjay M. Patel’s request to move a liquor license from Witch Well to the convenience store and gas station at Interstate 40 and Highway 191. County minutes show the board received seven protests from people living within one mile of the site, along with six more protests from chapters and others. The recommendation of disapproval does not end the case, but it shifts the fight to the state regulator that can still approve or reject the transfer.

The Arizona State Liquor Board has scheduled a hearing for June 4, 2026, at 9 a.m. The Department of Liquor Licenses and Control lists the hearing online, and board meetings are typically conducted by Google Meet or telephonic participation. Haley Garcia’s notice says only protesters who live within one mile of the proposed liquor site can testify, which makes the local protest record especially important heading into the hearing.

Opponents have framed the issue as both a public-safety and a community-harm question. Julia Konhiser told county supervisors she lives within a mile of the Chieftain Mobil and urged them to deny the transfer. The Navajo Nation Human Rights Commission voted 3-0 in February to oppose the application, saying liquor outlets placed near Navajo communities can perpetuate cycles of harm and marginalization. The commission also pointed to the region’s history with alcohol sales, including opposition in Sanders and a 10-year closure of liquor establishments there that it said corresponded with positive community growth.

The opposition has widened further. On April 20, the Navajo Nation legislative branch posted resolution 0087-26 formally opposing the application and urging state regulators to uphold Apache County’s denial. The resolution also declares opposition to future liquor-license applications for businesses immediately adjacent to Navajo communities.

Supporters of the protest effort are preparing to make their case in numbers. More than 100 concerned citizens are expected to ride buses four hours to Phoenix for the hearing, underscoring how far this dispute has traveled from a local licensing request. If the transfer is approved, residents fear more alcohol-related traffic, family trauma, impaired driving on Interstate 40 and U.S. 191, and emergency calls in a corridor already shaped by those risks. If it is denied, Apache County’s vote and the tribal opposition behind it will stand as a rare joint rebuke to another liquor outlet near Navajo communities.