Smyrna Beer Board defers Taco Station on-premise beer permit after tied vote

The Town of Smyrna Beer Board deferred action on an on-premise beer permit application from Taco Station Corporation at its March 3 meeting after an initial 2-2 tie vote and a subsequent successful motion to postpone consideration until the board’s next meeting.

The application, presented by owner Anna Ledesma, seeks permission to sell beer in bottles and cans for consumption on the business’s premises. The board postponed a final decision until its April meeting to allow a full, five-member panel to vote.

Board members first moved to approve the permit, and the motion received two yea votes and two nay votes. The tie prompted a procedural discussion about the requirement for a majority of present and voting members; after that discussion a motion to defer the application until the board’s next meeting passed.

During the public hearing, Ledesma described Taco Station’s proposed operations: she said the Smyrna location has three employees, she is the sole manager, the business has about three tables and roughly four parking spaces, and it has been at the site about four years. She said the business currently serves food in baskets and trays, and that it operates from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. on weekdays and until 10 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays. Ledesma said the restaurant plans to offer beer in bottles and cans only, not on draft, and that one employee, named Elizabeth, would check customer identifications.

Board members questioned how the business would prevent customers from leaving the premises with open containers given the limited parking and lack of an enclosed entryway. One board member said the main concern was monitoring the outdoor area to prevent patrons from walking to their vehicles with open alcohol. Ledesma said she and her husband would increase oversight and that her other location in Lebanon has not had citations for selling to minors.

A board advisor who provided procedural guidance noted the panel has five seats, one of which was absent at the March meeting, and that the board can place reasonable conditions on a permit if it is granted. After the tie vote and a brief exchange about options, a board member moved to defer the application until the April meeting so the full five-member board could act. The motion to defer received a second and passed.

The board set its next meeting for Monday, April 7, and the Taco Station Corporation application will be placed on that agenda for reconsideration.

No other new business was discussed at the March meeting.