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 the restaurant is family operated and that "we'll police the area so that people won't do that," referring to discouraging customers from using neighboring private drives.

Neighbors told a different story. Lehi Woods, who said he lives about two‑tenths of a mile south of the property, asked the board to deny the license, arguing "the public need and the desire does not reflect approval of an alcohol license for this particular establishment." Woods cited increased traffic on Route 235, sight‑distance issues where the building sits on a rise, and multiple prescriptive easements that serve apartments and private homes behind and adjacent to the property.

Kenneth Woods, who said his mother owns the parcel bordering the applicant, and Virginia Woods, the adjacent property owner, described repeated problems with workers’ trash on the site and said they had not been canvassed by the applicant before renovations began. Virginia Woods told board members she found a restaurant menu and a two‑page wine list on her door after work began and said she was not approached directly about the project before renovations: "I met both of the ladies at the liquor board. And on Friday, I took my letter to the board stating why I opposed the granting of this license. Both ladies seemed to try to discourage me from opposing."

Tom Watts, who identified himself as the building owner, said he had invested in extensive repairs — new roof, siding, windows, HVAC and walk‑in equipment — to bring the long‑vacant structure back into service and said he believed the proposed restaurant would be a low‑impact, food‑driven operation.

Board staff confirmed the application was for an on‑ and off‑sale beer, wine and liquor license and included a request to extend the premises to allow a detached walk‑in for storage other than liquor. Staff also noted the board’s standard conditions for a conditional approval of an existing premise: receipt of health department, fire marshal and formal use‑and‑occupancy approvals. The board recorded that the applicant and staff had completed required TAM certification and that RASP training had been discussed for employees.

After public comment, the board approved the application by voice vote, with the chair instructing the applicant to present the required clearances to the board office so the license may be released. The approval was explicitly entered as conditional — effective only when the listed health, fire and use‑and‑occupancy conditions are satisfied — and the board said the applicant may return to request an extension if additional time is needed beyond the 90‑day maximum allowed for conditional approvals of existing premises.

The board did not record a roll‑call vote; members indicated approval by voice. The board chair also urged the applicant to meet directly with neighboring residents to address parking and trash concerns before the license is finalized.

What happens next: The applicant must present health, fire marshal and use‑and‑occupancy clearances to the board administrator. If those documents are filed and accepted, the board administrator will release the license to the applicant; if problems persist, the board retains the authority to revisit the approval.

Votes at a glance: The board approved the Cow and Fish LLC Class B restaurant beer, wine and liquor license (on‑ and off‑sale) with a 90‑day conditional approval pending health, fire marshal and use‑and‑occupancy clearances; permission was granted to use a detached walk‑in for storage other than liquor.