The St. Mary's County Alcohol Beverage Board on Dec. 14 approved a 30‑day conditional Class D (VWL) license for Toots, an establishment at 23971 Merfeldene Road in Hollywood, owned by Joseph Terry Gatton Sr. and Lisa Woods Gatton.

The license was approved with three conditions: presentation of a valid trader’s license, an UNO (use and occupancy) certificate and approval from the fire marshal. Tammy Hildebrand, the board administrator, said the approval is “conditional on presentation of the trader's license, the UNO, and the fire marshal approval.”

Applicant Joseph Terry Gatton Sr. told the board he and his wife plan to re‑open the business and resume charity and benefit events they ran previously. “We’re hoping to bring it back around to our charities and benefits that we have been used had used and had there for over the years,” Gatton said during his appearance before the board.

Board members and staff discussed operational and safety details, including a trailer on the property that the owner has offered for overflow motorcycle parking. Gatton said the trailer has been used for storage and the owner expects to remove it; he estimated removal in January or spring. Garland Thompson, the liquor board inspector, asked whether the trailer would be gone within 30 days; Gatton said removal was planned but not guaranteed within that exact window.

Board members also confirmed layout and crowd‑control measures for the outdoor area behind the bar. Thompson noted the back area is fenced and that patrons must enter the courtyard through the building during night hours; Gatton said daytime events would open the larger gate for access and that an overflow gate would remain locked at night. Thompson referenced a previous issue with the gate needing to remain open for fire‑marshal reasons and said the fire marshal would assign interior capacity and may comment about the exterior area.

The board pressed the applicant on noise and parking controls. Thompson and others noted prior complaints at the property and asked how the licensee would limit nuisance impacts on the adjacent road. Gatton said he has ordered 72 acoustic panels for interior sound containment and expects to use removable panels for occasional outdoor events; he also said he will provide security staff for outdoor events and estimated four security personnel when needed.

At the board vote the motion to approve the application with the three conditions carried. The board recorded the approval as a 30‑day conditional license pending the trader’s license, UNO and fire‑marshal sign‑offs.

The board’s motion and approval require the licensees to return with the required documents; Tammy Hildebrand said those items could be delivered to the office and that staff expected to receive the fire‑marshal approval soon.

The board’s action was procedural and did not set a permanent outdoor‑service approval beyond the 30‑day conditional period; the board noted that any continuing or larger events would require the licensee to file event dates and receive specific approvals in advance.

Ending: The licensees were instructed to provide the outstanding documents to staff to finalize the conditional approval; the board advised the applicants to manage noise and parking as they resume events.