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City solicitor advises process to allow social clubs' outdoor areas for one‑day liquor events
Summary
Woburn’s city solicitor advised the License Commission that, under ABCC interpretation and MGL ch. 138, the commission can use a change‑of‑premises petition to designate outdoor club areas for use with one‑day licenses, preserving oversight while allowing attendees to move between spaces.
The city solicitor presented a memorandum to the Woburn License Commission outlining how social clubs could lawfully use adjacent outdoor areas for special one‑day liquor events without running afoul of state rules that ordinarily limit consumption to the designated permit area.
The memorandum, prompted by earlier questions from the commission, said Massachusetts General Laws Chapter 138 requires consumption under a one‑day permit to be limited to the area designated on the permit. The solicitor noted the primary rationale is to prevent patrons from carrying alcoholic beverages from a one‑day event into another licensed establishment. However, the opinion concluded that the local licensing authority could approve a permanent change of premises to include the outdoor area, with the change expressly limited to one‑day license uses; doing so would maintain commission oversight while allowing patrons to move between inside and the designated outside area under specified conditions.
The commission agreed to distribute the solicitor’s opinion to social clubs in the city and to revisit the matter at the October meeting. Commission members said any club that wants to pursue that option should consider appearing at an August or September meeting to discuss particulars and express interest.
Provenance: discussion begins at transcript block 2940.785 and ends at 3122.895 (topicintro/topfinish).
