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Select Board approves transfer of Hampden liquor license, contingent on ABCC approval and application correction
Summary
The Town of Hampden Select Board voted to approve the transfer of a retail liquor license to Jignesh and Megha Patel, authorizing a pledge of license and inventory to Rockland Trust and making final approval contingent on a corrected application item and Alcoholic Beverages Control Commission review.
The Town of Hampden Select Board voted Oct. 14 to approve the transfer of a retail liquor license for a Hampden store to Jignesh and Megha Patel, with the board attaching two conditions: a correction to the application (question 6/6a) and final approval by the Massachusetts Alcoholic Beverages Control Commission (ABCC).
Matthew Porter, attorney for Hampton Liquor Inc., told the board the Patels operate a Longmeadow store and plan to rebrand the Hampden location as 4 Seasons Wine and Liquor. "Megha is gonna be the proposed license manager," Porter said, noting the applicants are TIP-certified and will continue using ID-scanning equipment already in use at the store. He said the buyers have a lease in place and Rockland Trust is financing the transaction; the bank requires a pledge of the license and inventory as part of its loan.
Porter told the board the ABCC process typically takes about two to three months and that the lease closing is contingent on license approval. The board moved and seconded a motion to approve the transfer and the pledge of license and inventory to Rockland Trust, making both approvals contingent on correcting the application and the ABCC's final sign-off. The board approved the motion by voice vote. The board also agreed to wait to sign the final paperwork until the corrected application is submitted.
The board's approval is a local step: the ABCC issues the final state license transfer. Porter said the seller will continue to operate the store until the ABCC approves the transfer, and the closing would occur shortly after state approval so the new owners can assume operations with a minimal interruption. The applicants said they anticipate retaining a small staff (three employees across both Longmeadow and Hampden locations) and that all new hires will be alcohol-server certified.
The board did not record a roll-call vote in the meeting transcript; the approval was taken as a voice vote. The board also confirmed the pledge of license and inventory is included as part of the joint application packet to the ABCC.
The transfer hearing and approval occurred as a scheduled public hearing on the board's Oct. 14 agenda. The board's action moves the local portion of the application forward; state regulatory approval by the ABCC remains required before ownership changes hands.
Votes at a glance
• Motion to approve transfer of the Hampden retail liquor license to the applicants, and to approve the pledge of license and inventory to Rockland Trust, contingent on correction of application item 6/6a and ABCC approval — Approved by voice vote.
