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Council continues public hearing on ABC‑store zoning change after detailed downtown and licensing questions
Summary
Council heard staff and applicant presentations on a text amendment to reclassify ABC package stores from Highway Commercial to retail commercial, but deferred a decision to Aug. 4 to allow staff to prepare alternative redlines and maps showing district exclusions or conditional options.
Belmont planning staff presented a zoning text amendment (TA 2025‑02) on July 7 proposing to remove “ABC package store/slash beer and wine exclusive discount store” as a permitted use in the Highway Commercial (HC) district and instead classify ABC stores as a retail commercial use with new, separate definitions for ABC stores and beer & wine stores.
Rachel Groban, the staff presenter, said the Planning Board recommended approval 5–1 and that peer cities commonly classify ABC stores as retail. She told council the state provides licensing…
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