Board backs recommendation to make on-sale alcohol a conditional use in neighborhood shopping zones

A planning board voted to recommend zoning changes to make on-sale alcohol — alcohol consumed on the premises — a conditional use in Neighborhood Shopping districts, the board heard Monday.

Staff member said the mayor had been approached by citizens asking for the change and "gave direction to me to move this forward faster than the whole ordinance as a whole because that's gonna take a little bit longer." The staff member explained that off-sale alcohol (packaged sales for takeaway) is already permitted in Neighborhood Shopping zones and that making on-sale sales conditional would require any applicant to go through public notice and board review. "With this being a conditional use, anybody that would move forward with this would still have to come through the process and through the boards to have it approved," the staff member said.

Board member Mark said he favored the conditional-use approach. No members of the public addressed this item during the hearing. The motion to recommend amending Title 10, zoning regulations (Ordinance O 2025-10) carried by voice vote with no named roll-call votes recorded.

Under the proposed change, establishments that seek to serve alcohol for on-premises consumption in Neighborhood Shopping districts would trigger a conditional-use review, allowing neighbors and other stakeholders the opportunity to comment at a public hearing. Staff noted the neighborhood shopping classification appears in several areas of town, including Sanborn Boulevard, Rowley Street, Lawler, Second and Burr (formerly Rob Shortstop site), and East Havens, and that future applicants could include restaurants operating within those zones.