Saugus Town Meeting considering more liquor licenses

SAUGUS – Town Meeting member Sean Maltais said he thinks it?s “sad” that the selectmen will consider increasing the number of liquor licenses in town after voting to add the issue to tonight?s agenda.?You?re going to get out of this financial mess with booze and liquor?” asked Maltais. “I don?t know of one family in this town that is crying for more liquor licenses, but every family is crying for better parks. I don?t drive up Route 1 with my wife and four kids wishing we had more booze.”Town Moderator Bob Long said a Town Meeting vote isn?t required to request a home rule petition to the state Legislature for more liquor licenses. But selectman Chairman Michael Serino said the board wouldn?t proceed with the request without the support of Town Meeting. Tonight?s selectmen?s meeting is at 7:30 at Town Hall.Selectmen held a public forum last week to discuss the idea of more liquor licenses, but only one person spoke on the issue, town meeting member Peter Rossetti, who spoke in favor of the idea as the head of the board of directors for the Saugus Chamber of Commerce.?The chamber of commerce supports the effort to encourage the Massachusetts legislature to award additional full liquor licenses for the town of Saugus as a way to attract additional businesses to Saugus,” Rossetti wrote in a letter to the board.Maltais said Monday he doesn?t understand why it?s a priority and noted there are plenty of other businesses the town could attract that don?t need liquor licenses.?Wendy?s doesn?t serve liquor, do they?” said Maltais. “Cold Stone Creamery, what do you need? A shot of tequila with your ice cream? We?re in bad shape. I go to Anna Parker (playground), and when I step on condoms and drug paraphernalia and the slide is busted into pieces, I don?t think of liquor licenses.”Police Chief Domenic Dimella, however, said he is in favor of more liquor licenses, but only if they don?t go to nightclubs.?The police department and the previous board has worked hard to make sure we don?t have the same problems we did with places like the Palace, Taboo and Orchid,” said Dimella. “As long as (the liquor licenses) have restrictions and they?re regulated, I have no problem with that. The town needs the revenue.”Serino said liquor licenses have an annual renewal fee of $5,000. He said a restaurant that grosses $1 million in annual sales will typically return an additional $7,500 yearly to the town in meals tax revenue.Chandra Allard, a spokeswoman for the state treasurer?s office, which oversees the Alcoholic Beverages Control Commission, said Saugus is at capacity with 28 active all alcohol licenses and six beer and wine licenses.Allard said obtaining more licenses is “not impossible,” noting one possible route is for a town to vote and then have a member of its state legislature sponsor a home rule petition.?They have special legislation called a home rule petition that will give them additional licenses,” said Allard. “Usually there?s someone supportive along the way and they?ll ask them to carry the torch through the legislation. It?s usually a business and economic driver.”Allard said the ABCC doesn?t have a say whether more licenses are granted.Town Meeting member Wayne Brooks also said he supports adding more liquor licenses and would “love anything” to build up Route 1.?I?d like to see it, I really would,” said Brooks. “As long as we don?t wind up like other towns with a bar on every street corner, I?m all for it. We?re different from almost every other town around here with what we have ? it?s a small town with a big highway.”Town Meeting member Peter Manoogian said he would like to see a larger “overall scheme” for economic development in town.?I haven?t seen enough to make a judgment,” Manoogian said, “but I?m open-minded to an overall package that includes zoning and land use and mixed use that we don?t have in Saugus.”Manoogian cited problems the town faced with nightclubs and said town?s current “tranquility” is a “recent phenomen