St. Mary's Alcohol Beverage Board grants 90-day extensions for two conditional license applicants

The Alcohol Beverage Board of St. Mary’s County on May 8, 2025 approved 90-day extensions of conditional license approvals for two applicants who said they need more time to resolve site or construction issues.

Arthur C. Brinkley and Celeste C. Baird requested an extension for a license for The Creek. They told the board a pending health-department review of a grease trap and related site-plan clarifications had become more involved than expected: the health department asked for removal of a grease trap, additional site-plan detail and further documentation about prior food-service approvals. The applicants said their engineer met with health-department staff the morning of the board meeting to resolve outstanding items. The board approved a 90-day extension to allow the parties to finish corrective work.

Separately the board considered a request from Thomas F. McKay (McKay’s Grapes, Grains and Gatherings). The applicant was briefly absent earlier in the meeting; LaShom McKay, an LLC member, appeared after calling Thomas McKay, who authorized her to speak on his behalf. LaShom McKay told the board construction and equipment orders are under way and the applicant expects to open in August; the building will be turned over to the applicant on June 1. Board members confirmed that 90-day extensions are the standard cap for the board’s extensions in these circumstances and approved a 90-day extension for the McKay application.

Board staff noted the extensions allow the applicants to preserve their conditional approvals while they complete required health, site-plan and construction steps.