The St. Mary's County Alcohol Beverage Board on Oct. 8, 2015 conditionally approved a temporary extension of premises for Chapter 2 Market, operated by Gwendolyn and Ronald Tennyson, to host an outdoor beer and wine tasting tent for their 50th‑anniversary event on Oct. 18, 2015 from 1 to 6 p.m.

Gwendolyn Tennyson, speaking for the license holders, told the board the store is small and she wants the wine‑ and food‑sampling to occur under a tent in the parking area. Board staff and members emphasized controls the licensee must use to prevent overserving and underage access: staff proposed punch cards or wristbands, requiring vendors to verify ID at initial entry, marking license numbers on punch cards, staking off the tasting area and ensuring samples are consumed only inside the designated area.

Specific sampling limits discussed: wine samples limited to 1 ounce, beer samples to 2 ounces, and a combined maximum of four samples per person; vendors must record purchaser information and follow the licensee's control plan. The board made approval conditional on the applicant obtaining the county special events permit (which includes fire marshal, health and sheriff signoffs) or providing written confirmation from planning and zoning that no special events permit is required. The approved premises were defined by the diagram submitted with the application; sampling was restricted to the tented area.

A motion to approve the temporary extension, with the diagram submitted by Chapter 2 Market defining the extended premises and conditioned on the special events permit and agency clearances, was made, seconded and approved by voice vote.