Howard County hearing continued after residents and nearby licensees oppose new off‑sale liquor license

Howard County's Alcohol Beverage Hearing Board on Aug. 12 continued the contested hearing on an application by Madhur LLC, trading as MB Fine Wine and Spirits, for a new Class A beer‑and‑wine and seven‑day off‑sale liquor license. Dozens of residents, several nearby licensees and representatives of a homeowners association testified, and the board agreed to take the applicants' rebuttal and to reconvene for additional testimony and closing arguments.

The application — filed in the name of Hitash Navarro Badia and listed in the record as Madhur LLC — drew sustained opposition from neighbors and at least two existing liquor licensees who said the area already has an abundance of off‑sale outlets. Protesters and small business owners told the board they worry an additional license would further depress sales at established shops, increase late‑night activity, and heighten the community's exposure to alcohol‑related harms.

Why it matters: the board must weigh competing evidence about market demand and community impacts before deciding whether to grant an off‑sale license for the proposed Washington Boulevard location. Opponents said the application should be denied because the trade area already contains many licensed sellers; the applicant's consultant argued there is room in the market.…