At its Aug. 14 meeting, the Chelsea Licensing Commission discussed a request from a restaurant owner to extend operating hours for restaurants and bars to 2 a.m., but commissioners declined to open a formal public hearing on the subject.
The request was raised in a clerk's update after Naomi Libron, the commission clerk, read an email from Nelson Molina of Nocturna asking how restaurants and bars could obtain permission to stay open until 2 a.m. Libron said many local liquor licensees currently close by 1 a.m. except for New Year's Eve.
Commissioners and police said extending hours across the city would be difficult to support. Sergeant Chung of the Chelsea Police Department told the commission the department is at minimum staffing in its late-night shift and “the chief's not interested” in pursuing later hours; Chung also said longer nights can create problems in residential areas. Chair Marnie McAlpine and several commissioners said they were not inclined to grant a blanket extension and that any licensee would have to apply individually for a change of hours. McAlpine suggested that if an applicant wanted a longer discussion they could petition the commission but cautioned the commission was unlikely to approve a general change.
Commissioners raised data and enforcement concerns: how many late-night sales actually occur after 1 a.m., which nights would be approved, how the police would monitor crowds, and whether individual businesses would provide a plan (security, staffing, management). Libron briefed the commission on the city’s licensing inventory: 64 liquor licenses, 17–18 of which are package stores, and roughly 30 licensees that have licenses to remain open to 1 a.m. on some days.
No formal motion to schedule a public hearing carried. The commission invited any owner who wished to press the matter to appear at a future meeting or to file an individual application to change hours; commissioners emphasized that a hearing would not guarantee approval and that the police department’s operational concerns weigh heavily in decisions on late-night hours.
Why it matters: Extending late-night hours affects neighborhood noise, policing needs and business revenue; the commission framed the issue as balancing business interest with public safety and residential quality of life.
Looking ahead: Commissioners asked that applicants who want extended hours come to a regular meeting or apply individually; the police asked for any authorization to be limited (for example, specific days) and for clear plans documenting how the business will manage late-night crowds.