IRVING - Irving grocery and convenience stores are clearing their shelves to make room for two of the city's newest residents – beer and wine.

This week, three Kroger stores became the first supermarkets to offer beer and wine in what used to be North Texas' largest dry suburb. Gary Huddleston, a Kroger director of consumer affairs, said several shoppers couldn't be happier.

"Many of our customers have wanted the convenience of buying beer and wine in a supermarket in Irving for a number of years," Huddleston said.

Irving residents approved the sale of beer and wine in the city in November, after two previous attempts failed at the polls in 2004 and 2006. But the margin of victory the third time around was slim. The measure passed by 776 votes, less than 1 percent of ballots cast.

The number of Irving stores offering beer and wine has been growing since a few smaller outlets began selling alcohol late last year. And more stores are expected to follow suit.

As of Wednesday, the Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission had issued permits for beer and wine sales to a dozen Irving retailers. And city staffers have already approved applications for more than 80 other retail outlets that must now seek approval from the state agency.

Since the latest push for legalizing beer and wine sales began last year, the Irving City Council has written and retooled ordinances aimed at combating the blight and crime that opponents of alcohol sales say follow the wet stuff.

Tonight, the council will consider several changes to ordinances regulating business signs. Some of the proposals are aimed at preventing stores from cluttering windows with alcohol advertisements and neon signs.

So far, the city has rejected requests by seven retailers to sell beer and wine because the applicants' businesses were too close to churches or schools. One of those retailers was Kroger's fourth Irving location at MacArthur Boulevard and Sixth Street.

Irving doesn't allow alcohol sales at stores whose doors are 300 feet from the door of a church or hospital. The city also doesn't allow such sales at outlets whose property lines are 300 feet from the property line of a public or private school.

Almost immediately after November's election, the Irving city secretary's office received phone calls from people asking when a new election aimed at returning Irving to its dry status could be held. The city's answer: May 2010.

Members of Irving First, a group that opposed alcohol sales in the election, could not be reached for comment this week.

But John B. Watson, whose group Irving Citizen Action Network spearheaded the successful ballot measure, said he's not worried about Irving going dry again. He also said he's glad to finally be able to buy a bottle of wine at his closest supermarket.

"It's good to see that the fruits of our efforts are finally showing up in a tangible way in the stores," Watson said.