Politics & Government
One Town-Wide Liquor License is Now Available in Foxborough
Tuesday, the selectmen discusses what to do with the valuable license.
Foxborough, MA — An all-alcohol license with no site stipulations is now available, Town Manager Bill Keegan revealed at Tuesday’s selectmen meeting.
Keegan told the board that the license was turned in by the American Legion, leaving the board with the question of what to do with a license that can be used anywhere in town.
“That license is now available, the board needs to have a discussion about how you want to handle it,” Keegan said. “Should it be next person in line or a bigger discussion?”
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Chairman David Feldman said the only licenses that are being issued by the state are site specific. Due to the value, the head of the board floated a creative idea.
“I had a thought of using it as a temporary or flex license until a site specific license becomes available. At that point, it’s turned back to the town and they get a town specific license,” Feldman said.
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Keegan told the board that he was informed by special counsel Dave DeLuca that the idea is possible, but only though a civil measure that is a condition for the license.
Currently, the only licenses available in town are the recently returned license and one site-specific to Chestnut Green. Town Meeting recently approved nine more licenses that are site specific. A Patriot Place license formerly used by Tastings was recently granted to a new restaurant known as the Scorpion Bar.
“If we didn’t have the Tastings license and Scorpion Bar came in, would we deploy that license and transfer them to a site specific license? Or do you give it to the entity that’s next up that has 20 seats and has a lot of take out?” Keegan asked.
“It could be an issue of fairness. You have that smaller entity that is waiting for a license competing with other similar restaurants who have all alcohol licenses,” Selectman Ginny Coppola said. “You have to also consider economic maintenance. This person has been patiently waiting.“
The board made no decisions on how to proceed, choosing to return to the issue at their next meeting.
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