F.L. Roberts officials appeared before the Westfield License Commission earlier this week for a permit to sell beer and wine at the South Maple Street location. (Photo by Frederick Gore)
WESTFIELD – A request for a policy waiver made by F.L. Roberts and Company this week was shelved until the next Westfield License Commission meeting.
F.L. Roberts, owner of the Westfield Sunoco station and convenience store on South Maple Street, is asking the commision to waive the local requirement for a separate entrance and counter to sell beer and wine in the store. According to License Director Denise Carey, F.L. Roberts is seeking only a waiver at this time.
“They are not formally applying for a license,” she said.
The company would need a wine and malt license in order to sell alcohol at that location. There are nine such licenses allowed in the city, and all nine are currently available.
The Massachusetts Alcoholic Beverage Control Commission (ABCC) regulates liquor licenses and allots a certain number based on population. Westfield has just over 41,000 residents.
The ABCC has five categories of licenses, including wine and malt, all alcholic beverages, wine beverages licenses, malt beverage licenses, and wine and malt with cordials and liqueurs beverages licenses. The ABCC issues these licenses seasonally or annually.
In addition to the nine wine and malt licenses, the city is allowed nine all alcoholic beverage licenses for package stores. Carey said there are no all alcohol licenses available.
The state does allow for private sales of alcohol licenses in the event that all licenses have been granted. Carey could not offer an average sale price.
“It depends on how much a businessperson wants the license and what the market demands at that time. It functions a lot like the real estate market,” she said.
Carey explained how the Commonwealth’s complex liquor licenses differentiate.
“There are two types of ‘package store’ licenses under state law chapter 138,” she said. “Section 15 licenses are issued to package stores selling beer, wine and liquor. Section 12 licenses are called ‘Pouring Licenses’, and are issued to establishments where customers cannot leave with purchased alcohol.”
Carey said individual city and town’s license commissions are granted ample control over what types of establishments they grant section 12 licenses to, adding that the Westfield License Commission grants these licenses to inns, bars, restaraunts and clubs.
Carey also said that the city may grant 44 section 12 licenses, and that 32 are currently taken, with Clemenza’s Restaraunt on Elm Street having recently been granted license number 33, for which the establishment will pay an annual fee of $2,000.
“Section 12 licenses don’t have alot of monetary value, as there are currently 11 licenses available in the city,” Carey said of the many types of “pouring licenses” that can be obtained in Westfield.
One of the concerns for the commission in issuing a waiver to F.L. Roberts is the question of policing the establishment if there is not a separate entrance.
The Springfield-based company spokesman said they just want to offer an additional convenience to customers.
“We want to meet our customers needs. We’ve received requests. We have the car wash, the Jiffy Lube, the convenience store. We want to make this a one stop shop for our customers.” said F.L. Roberts District Manager Raymond Cross at Monday evening’s meeting. “To the best of my knowledge, this (wine and malt beverage/ convenience store) would be the first of it’s kind in the city.”
Westfield License Commission Chairman Christopher Mowatt was forthcoming regarding the body’s tabling the request until September.
“For a long time, the policy has been to have a seperate counter and cash register for beer and win,e” said Mowatt, an engineering manager for OMG Inc. in Agawam.
Mowatt said he did not know which way the commission was leaning.
“There are still questions,” he said. “There are a number of factors and considerations before we make a decision. We are given nine licenses, but we are not obligated to fill them.”
Cross is not concerned with the commission’s decision to hold off on a vote.
“I have no problem with it,” he said. “We went in (to Monday’s meeting) as sort of an informational session. We didn’t go in expecting to make a decision.”
The License Commission has tabled the request until it’s Sept. 9 meeting.
