Town meeting voters will decide early next month whether to support a warrant article that would allow Hull to petition the state to grant the town the authority to issue additional liquor licenses beyond the present quota.
Currently, there are seven package store, eight seasonal, and 14 annual (year-round) licensees. No additional annual licenses are available.
The number of seasonal licenses the Board of Selectmen can issue is unlimited, while the number of annual licenses is capped.
Town Manager Philip Lemnios and Town Counsel James Lampke met recently with the Advisory Board to discuss the warrant article, which will be up for consideration at the May 8 town meeting.
“We had a good discussion,” Lampke reported. “There were some concerns on their part about how many additional liquor licenses the board would be seeking and what types of licenses it would recommend.”
Lampke noted that he had seen a town meeting warrant facsimile on Wednesday in which the Advisory Board recommends favorable action on that warrant article. In its comments, the Advisory Board states that “the business development that’s taking place in town, especially in the overlay district, warrants having more liquor licenses available for restaurants, bars, hotels, and entertainment venues.”
Board of Selectmen Chairwoman Jennifer Constable supports the warrant article. “Hull is becoming a restaurant destination, and there could be new restaurants that would want to be open year-round that might seek an annual license,” she said. “If a seasonal restaurant decided to remain open year-round, we would want those additional licenses to be available for that reason as well as for new restaurants.”
Selectman Domenico Sestito suggested asking the Hull Nantasket Chamber of Commerce for its opinion on the issue. It is expected that the discussion will be continued at an upcoming board meeting.
Town meeting voters will have the final say.
