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Date: 3/8/2023
BELCHERTOWN — After being awarded another all-alcohol license, the Select Board has been working on a process to figure out if they want to hand it out and if so, to whom.
After conversation, the Board decided at its Feb. 21 meeting that it is fair to continue the process and allow businesses to soon send in their applications and voice their reasons why they deserve the a new license.
Belchertown currently has five establishments that are only authorized to sell beer and wine for off-site consumption and three establishments that are authorized to sell all types of alcoholic beverages for off-site consumption namely package stores.
A moratorium on granting a license was put in place in May 2022 to give the board more time to figure out a process for the license and expired on Feb. 28, 2023.
According to Select Board Chair Jim Barry, the 2020 census indicated that the Belchertown had a small population increase that barely surpassed the minimum population (15,000) and was now able to award one more “all-alcohol package store license.”
Select Board member Peg Louriane said, “We reached that threshold by I think less than 100 people.”
Barry added, “The board is not required to grant a license just because it has one available. It is not like the population doubled and ‘OMG’ we need another liquor store because there are so many more people in town. We barely got over the threshold where it is possible to give one.”
The Select Board hosted a public forum on Feb. 21 inviting members of the public to speak on three questions: Is another license needed? If so, where is it needed? What other matters such as traffic and noise be taken into consideration when reviewing applications?
The three questions were also published in local newspapers and the town’s website prior to the meeting.
“The response from the public was less than overwhelming,” Barry stated.
The Select Board received two written responses that both said Belchertown did not need to issued another liquor license.
There was also a handful of public comments on Facebook community forum that also indicated there is not a need for another liquor license in town, according to Barry.
Four members from the community attended the Feb. 21 meeting to express their opinions.
One community member said, “I am a business owner in town, whether it would help the town or not I am going to say probably not but, do we have the right as business owners to engage in commerce? That is a liberty interest and that is something that must be looked at.”
Co-owner and manager of Country Crossroads Convenience store Akshar Patel said that the town needs another license, and he thinks his business deserves it because there are numerous customers who daily come in asking to purchase liquor.
Country Crossroads applied for a change in their off-premises liquor license from a beer and wine only to an all alcohol and beverages in March 2022 but was denied the license in November 2022 due to the moratorium in place.
Patel said he has been trying to receive this license for a couple years now and patiently waiting for another one to become available.
Another community member said, “As a resident of Belchertown and previous liquor license holder in town, I believe because of the economy and the way some these businesses are barely making it by. I believe you should award it, but it should go to a resident of Belchertown.”
The Select Board had to decide if they wanted to continue the process of handing out another license based on the forum.
Louraine said she finds it “pretty significant” that out of 15,000 people in town, four have said no and one said yes.
Select Board Ed Boscher added, “That is only five people. That is not even a blip on the overall picture. I think we need to ask ourselves if we need to hand out the license.”
The next steps for the board include changing the end of the moratorium to be March 3 so that the earliest application received will be March 6.
The Select Board added, “If any applications are received, the public hearing(s) will be on April 3. Any applicants that wish to be part of this process need to submit their application by noon on March 17 to be included in the public hearing on April 3, 2023. Applications received after that date may not be included due to required notice deadlines.”
The board has established a list of things to consider in judging applications such as: Is the applicant a current all-alcohol license holder? What system is used to verify the age of buyers? proposed location, proximity to other licensed establishments, noise and traffic impact at that location, size of the proposed facility and more.
Barry added, “There are several things the board can take into consideration when choosing to issue a license or not. These questions may help us distinguish the difference between applicants.”
The office of the Select Board can be reached at 323-0403 or via email at selectmen@belchertown.org with any questions.