Council debates liquor‑store hours, seeks ordinance clarifications before vote

Highland Park councilors discussed whether to extend retail liquor‑store hours and to clarify decades‑old ordinance language during a council work session; no ordinance change was adopted.

The discussion focused on ambiguities in the borough’s current liquor ordinance, which council members said has not been comprehensively updated since 1991, and on whether the borough should align off‑premise packaged‑goods hours with on‑premise (bar) pouring hours. Council members said the item had been reviewed by both the Public Safety and Economic Development committees and that the committees’ suggested approach would be to allow midnight hours for retail packaged goods while retaining special exceptions for New Year’s Eve.

At the session councilors and staff described three regulatory “buckets” to consider: pure retail packaged‑goods licensees, on‑premise bars (pouring for consumption), and hybrid establishments that operate as bars but also sell packaged goods. Participants discussed whether hybrid establishments should receive the same off‑premise hours as retail stores, or whether on‑premise pouring rules (commonly 1:30 a.m.) should remain the upper limit for on‑site service only.

Council members said the borough’s current practice is that retail sales typically end at 10 p.m., while on‑premise pouring can continue until 1:30 a.m.; several councilors said ordinance language is ambiguous about whether off‑premise sales may extend to midnight or 1:30 a.m. The Economic Development Committee’s tentative recommendation, according to committee members at the meeting, was to allow midnight hours for off‑premise packaged goods (midnight on most days, with New Year’s Eve treated separately). Participants also asked the borough attorney to check with the state Alcoholic Beverage Control (ABC) for any regulatory constraints.

Council members and staff reported outreach to local businesses. Representatives of downtown outlets — identified during the work session as Pinos (a bar with an attached liquor retail operation) and Park Liquors — were reported to have been contacted; Park Liquors expressed interest in later hours, while the bar‑heavy operators were described as mixed or neutral. Speakers estimated the number of local establishments variously — one speaker said there were "3 liquor establishments" while another later mentioned "20 liquor stores" — and councilors flagged that discrepancy for clarification before formal action.

Council members directed staff and the borough attorney to prepare a clear memo that (1) summarizes current practice and the committee recommendations, (2) clarifies ambiguous ordinance language (including definitions such as "malt liquor" and distinctions between on‑premise and off‑premise sales), and (3) reports any ABC guidance. That memo will be circulated to the full council before the council places an ordinance amendment on a future agenda. Several councilors said they preferred a work‑session discussion and a circulated memo prior to any vote; the ordinance process would require first and second readings if the council chooses to change the law.

No ordinance amendment or vote occurred at the work session. Council members indicated that, if they proceed, the timeline would likely move from a June work‑session discussion to a first reading in July and a final (second) reading in August, giving the public opportunity for comment during the ordinance process.