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License commissioners ask council to loosen restaurant rule for package stores, allow earlier golf-course sales and rethink petition requirement
Summary
The Wicomico County Board of License Commissioners on Sept. 2 asked the council to support three changes to local alcohol rules: decouple package-store (class A) licenses from a restaurant requirement, allow earlier golf-course alcohol sales to attract tournaments, and reconsider the 10-signature petition-of-support requirement.
The Wicomico County Board of License Commissioners presented three requests at the Sept. 2 work session and asked the council for a letter of support.
1) Class A separation: The board asked the county to amend local code so holders of a class A beer, wine and liquor (package-store) license would not also be required to operate a class B restaurant. The board said Wicomico is the only Maryland county with this combined requirement and that the rule imposes an undue burden on holders of the limited class A licenses. Commissioners emphasized they do not ask to increase the county's authorized number of class A licenses (currently three); the asked-for change would only remove the restaurant-operation requirement.
2) Golf-course hours: Two public golf courses asked to permit alcohol sales to begin earlier than the county's current 10 a.m. start for golf-course licenses so tournaments that desire earlier sales will select Wicomico County venues. The board reported that neighboring counties permit earlier sales (examples cited: Talbot and Dorchester counties at 7 a.m.; Anne Arundel at 6 a.m.; Worcester at 9 a.m.). The board framed the change as an economic development tool to bring tournaments to county courses.
3) Petition-of-support requirement: The board asked the council to consider removing the application requirement that prospective license applicants obtain 10 signatures from registered property owners in the voting district who attest they know the applicant. Commissioners and applicants said the signature process is sometimes difficult, can be unsafe if applicants must knock on unknown doors, and can yield unreliable attestations. Council members and board staff discussed alternatives such as improved public notice and signage, maintaining advertisement and posting requirements, and possible pro-rating of notice radius.
Commission staff said the board will provide draft language and asked the council to consider each measure; councilmembers asked staff to ensure public-notice safeguards remain in place and to examine code language before any changes are proposed for formal adoption.
