Voters prohibit any changes in allowing liquor licenses
Published on October 28th, 1998
STONEHAM, MA - Small restaurant owners in Stoneham will not be increasing business through alcohol sales as Town Meeting voters, on Monday night, rejected a special act that would expand the granting of liquor licenses to local establishments.
According to Selectman Patrick Jordan, local business owners requested that the board consider allowing restaurants with a seating capacity of 25 or greater be allowed to obtain liquor licenses. Currently, licenses are available only to establishments with seating for 100 or more.
"My feeling is that we might be helping people stay in town to spend their money," stated Jordan.
Selectmen Chairman Albert Conti said that the board believes the trend is toward smaller restaurants which, many times, require an alcohol license to survive.
The Finance and Advisory Board also recommended favorable action on the article. In its written opinion, the Finance Board stated, "Without the liquor license, small restaurants are unable to make a reasonable profit on food alone, and therefore, do not consider Stoneham a rich profit environment in which they can do business."
Finance Board member Brenda Boyle explained that the special act would not restrict the Board of Selectmen's discretion over the type of restaurant coming to town. In addition, she stated that such liquor licenses would serve in benefiting the town by attracting an increased number of restaurants.. If approved, Boyle explained, the issue would then have to go before the state legislature in the spring.
Opposition, however, was strong on this issue.
Selectman Cosmo Ciccarello, was the lone member of the Board of Selectmen opposed to the article.
"I think it's a vice, it's wrong," stated Ciccarello, calling the potential establishments "glorified barrooms."
"I moved here from Chelsea to get away from barrooms."
Everett Street resident Kristen Russo offered her sentiments as one of the dissenters in the Finance Board's 4-3 vote on the article.
With the town having made a commitment to improve itself through projects such as the town common, new elementary schools, and the future development of the Spot Pond area, Russo charged that this article serves to challenge the town's controls and lower its standards.
"Why lower our requirements, lower our controls so drastically?...Angelo's (Restaurant at 239 Main Street) is able to sustain itself on food alone. We should not look to the selectmen to make it easier to grant liquor licenses," Russo stated.
Others voiced concern regarding the possibility of increasing the risk for drinking and driving in the town.
Cricklewood Drive resident Richard Mangerian shared his view on the article with the audience by stating, "We just told all the restaurants you can't smoke. We smoked them out. What we need now is a drink out, not a drunk out."
Former Town Clerk and Hill Street resident Annamae Arsenault appealed to the town's increasing sense of unity.
In speaking out against the article, Arsenault stated, "Even though this still has to go to the legislature, it will further divide this town. We'll then have to campaign and take sides...We have committees working now to unite the town."
Boyle stated that she was struggling with the idea of alcohol being a vice and questioned the logic of approving of 100 patrons drinking alcohol in an establishment versus a smaller number.
"People are looking for nice places to go to...The same controls are in place whether there are 25 seats or 100," she said.
"Look at the history of Stoneham," stated Selectman John Biggio. The establishments that have liquor licenses, he said, are the ones that have stayed in business, such as the China Moon, Ground Round, and J.J. Grimsby's while many smaller restaurants have experienced frequent turnover.
He also reminded that Stoneham's bylaw mandates the sale of food with alcohol, not including snack food, and prohibits the existence of bars.
In the end, the voters decided to vote down the granting of liquor licenses to smaller establishments.
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