Alcohol board grants Cow and Fish 90-day conditional beer, wine and liquor license despite neighbor protests

The St. Mary's County Alcohol Beverage Board on Sept. 10 approved a conditional, 90-day Class B (restaurant) beer, wine and liquor license for Cow and Fish LLC, doing business as the Cow and Fish at 25188 Three Notch Road in Hollywood, with permission to use a detached walk-in for non‑liquor storage pending health, fire marshal and use-and-occupancy approvals.

The approval followed several hours of testimony by the applicant, Michael Jerome Chance, and multiple neighbors who said the building’s location on Route 235, limited on‑site parking and existing prescriptive easements make the site unsafe for alcohol sales. Board members amended approval language to reference testimony on policing parking and other steps the applicant said he would take.

Michael Jerome Chance, the applicant, described the Cow and Fish as an "upscale casual" restaurant with a 44‑seat dining room (49 persons allowed by the fire marshal when staff are included). He told the board the building had been renovated and said the premises currently offers 22 marked parking spaces on site and an arrangement for up to 10 additional valet spots across the road for special events. Chance said…