Overview:
The Selectboard of Athol has voted to seek Legislative approval to expand its all-alcohol licenses from three to eight, and to give five more beer and wine licenses to local businesses. The proposal will ultimately need the approval of both town meeting voters and the state Legislature. The move comes after receiving a petition from customers of Country Convenience, a local store that currently sells beer and wine. The store's owner expressed fear that the potential granting of a beer and wine license to nearby Country Mart would dilute his customer base.
ATHOL – The Selectboard has voted to seek Legislative approval to expand its all-alcohol licenses from three to eight.
The move, which took place at the March 17 meeting, comes just weeks after the board voted to seek permission to give five more beer and wine licenses to local businesses. Each proposal will ultimately need the approval of both town meeting voters and the state Legislature.
The March 17 decision comes after receiving a petition from customers of Country Convenience, owned by George Patel and located on South Main Street. The store currently sells beer and wine but at an earlier meeting of the Selectboard, Patel expressed concern that the potential granting of a beer and wine license to nearby Country Mart would dilute his customer base.
Patel was represented by attorney Peter Nicosia, who appeared via Zoom. Nicosia described Patel as “a known commodity to the town; he’s an important member of your small business community. He’s been a responsible store operator for the last 19 years or so. He is here tonight to appeal to the board to support his request that the town approach the state Legislature by Home Rule Petition to obtain at least one additional all-alcohol package store license for his location.”
The town currently is allowed three all-alcohol licenses, all of which have been granted to other local businesses. Nicosia said expanding the number of all-alcohol licenses in Athol would meet with the Legislature’s desire to promote economic development across the state. The addition of new all-alcohol licenses to Athol’s inventory, he argued, would back up the town’s efforts “to support some of these mom-and-pop shops, local businesses, and allow them to have long-term staying power.”
Several Athol residents and businesses owners or managers approached the board to support the proposal. Board member Mitch Grosky, however, did urge caution in moving ahead.
“Years ago,” he said, “Athol was known as a town with a bar on every corner. We no longer have that (reputation). We have a few bars but we’re not, typically speaking, a real ‘bar town.’ But there are people who are concerned that we may become a town with a package store on every corner. How much is enough, and how much is too much is the big question I’m wrestling with. I don’t want Athol to become known as a town where liquor takes first priority.”
“I understand your point,” said fellow board member Marc Maxwell. “But we have a pot shop, we have another pot shop coming, we have a couple of pot factories, every convenience store in town sells cigarettes. So, what’s the difference with having beer and wine or liquor? I think we should have enough licenses for people to apply for whichever one they want. Not that we can guarantee that anyone specifically can get it.”
“I fully support an increase,” said board member Brian Dodge. “Times are changing. I support capitalism. If they can get a license and sell their product competitively with everybody else, why should we stop them from doing that? On the same hand, we don’t want to overreach. Even if we had 50, we don’t have to give them all out. I would support five.”
Dodge then put forward a motion to instruct Town Manager Shaun Suhoski to draft a Town Meeting article asking voters to approve submission of a Home Rule Petition seeking up to five more all-alcohol licenses. The motions was approved on a vote of 4-1, with board chair Rebecca Bialecki dissenting.