Council denies Izzi renewal, approves Kitson license after contentious hearing

The Scituate Town Council on March 3 denied an application from Nicholas Izzi (JTD Inc./10 Hope Furnace Road) and approved a Class A retail liquor license for Stephen J. Kitson at 1199 Chapman's Hill Road, after a contested public hearing that included legal arguments about whether Izzi's earlier renewal application remained pending or had expired.

Kelly Morris Salvatore, attorney for Nicholas Izzi, told the council that a renewal application filed previously remained pending and "that renewal application has to be acted upon," citing Rhode Island General Law procedures for renewals and appeals. Salvatore argued Izzi had been the subject of multiple delays and had meritorious reasons — fire, pandemic, court-ordered constraints and subsequent storm damage — that counseled in favor of renewal or at least a path to maintain his license.

Opposing counsel Rudy Kane, representing Stephen Kitson, said he reviewed the record and the prior council's actions and advised that Izzi's renewal had not been approved and had expired, making the 8 Hope Furnace Road filing a new application. Town solicitor and a number of council members reviewed minutes and tapes of prior meetings; the council record showed no final approval of the city-issued renewal for 10 Hope Furnace Road and several council members concluded the earlier matter had not been carried forward as a continuing renewal.

Building official Mike D'Ariel advised that neither applicant had a certificate of occupancy for the premises under consideration at the time of the hearing; Kitson had submitted stamped engineered plans but had not yet pulled a building permit, while Izzi's work had not reached a state to allow occupancy in Unit 8.

The council first voted on a motion to deny Nicholas Izzi's application. The transcript records a roll-call result recorded immediately after the motion: Councilman Carmelini (Aye); Councilman McCormick (Aye); Councilman Grandy (Aye); Councilwoman Muir (Aye); Councilman Mute Saatt (Aye); Council Vice President D'Agostino (Aye); Council President Collins (Aye). The motion to deny passed (motion carried; no negative votes recorded in the roll call in the transcript).

Following that vote, councilor(s) moved to approve Stephen Kitson's application for a Class A license at 1199 Trappist/Chapman's Hill Road. The roll call recorded for that approval shows: Councilman Parmelee (Aye); Councilman McCormack (Aye); Councilman Grandy (Aye); Councilwoman Muir (Aye); Councilman Martin Musat (Aye); Council Vice President D'Agostino (Aye); Council President Collins (Aye). The motion passed.

Multiple public commenters urged the council to consider the needs of Hope Village residents for local retail amenities; several speakers argued in support of Izzi on neighborhood and historical-preservation grounds. The council and its solicitor discussed procedural distinctions between a renewal, a transfer, and a new-license application and whether prior council inaction amounted to a continuing pending application or an expiration by operation of law.

The council chair tracked statutory references raised at the hearing, including Rhode Island General Laws sections discussed by counsel. The council recorded the votes at the meeting and concluded the liquor-license matters with the two recorded actions.

Actions recorded in the transcript were administrative final votes taken on the council floor and will be reflected in the town's licensing records once staff completes the necessary paperwork and any state-level filings.