Politics & Government

Aldermen Pass Liquor License Home Rule Petition

The measure would do away with state-mandated caps on liquor licenses in Somerville. The measure must now pass through the state legislature.

The Somerville Board of Aldermen approved a home rule petition Thursday that would increase the number of liquor licenses in the city by abolishing a state-mandated cap on the number of licenses allowed.

Currently, the state permits 84 liquor licenses and 16 beer and wine licenses in the city of Somerville, according to Michael Meehan, a spokesperson for the city. Of those 84 liquor licenses, 10 are being held for future restaurant businesses in Assembly Square. The development of Assembly Square has long been one of the city's top priorities.

Having been passed by the Somerville Board of Aldermen, the home rule petition must now pass through the state House and Senate. Meehan hopes the state legislature acts on the measure quickly, but acknowledged once it's on Beacon Hill, "it moves at its own pace."

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Restaurants are a $120 million business in Somerville, Meehan said, and the city "has become a restaurant destination in Greater Boston."

Under the current system, with the number of liquor licenses capped by the state, new and expanding restaurants must compete for the small number of licenses available at any given moment. "When a license becomes available, there is a scramble to get it," Meehan said. "It becomes a game of, who gets the short end of the stick? And the answer should be, no one."

Find out what's happening in Somervillewith free, real-time updates from Patch.

Alderman At-Large William White, speaking at Thursday's Board of Aldermen meeting, said, "This is really an economic development issue" and that the ability to issue more liquor licenses would help local restaurants. "This is not for night clubs and gin mills," he said.

Cambridge has the ablity to issue liquor licenses without state caps, and Arlington is able to issue beer and wine licenses without any caps, Meehan said.


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