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Upper Fells Point residents protest Sweet Carolina Liquor over street drinking, board renews license
Summary
Residents said patrons repeatedly buy single‑serve alcohol, drink on nearby corners, leave litter and sometimes require emergency services. The board reviewed citations and testimony but found insufficient verified evidence to deny the renewal; commissioners urged continued documentation and neighborhood‑level remedies.
Upper Fells Point residents argued at the April 16 hearing that the renewal of the license for Sweet Carolina Liquor at 309 South Broadway should be denied because, they said, patrons buy single‑serve alcoholic beverages and then gather on nearby corners — particularly Goff & Broadway and near St. Patrick’s — where excessive drinking, public urination/defecation, litter and medical emergencies occur.
Residents provided photos, described repeated 311 and 911 calls and testified about incidents in which patrons were so intoxicated they required ambulance response. One witness described calling 911 for a man who was unresponsive on the sidewalk and said another patron told her he had purchased the drink at the store. Several witnesses said they regularly pick up miniature bottles and cans in the area and find human waste and damaged property.
License counsel moved to exclude certain photographs and 311 materials, arguing they were prejudicial, not tied specifically to the store, or drawn from a wide area with multiple liquor businesses. The board considered those objections, allowed some photographic evidence into the record and excluded certain addenda that lacked specific provenance. Counsel also noted that multiple liquor retailers operate within a short distance of the sites described by residents.
The board reviewed housing and sanitation citations submitted by residents and heard from a representative of Councilman Antonio Glover’s office, who said the pattern is a broader neighborhood challenge involving multiple establishments and residential issues. City staff and the council office said they had been canvassing the block and would coordinate enforcement of sanitation and code issues.
After hearing testimony, the board concluded the record before it did not provide grounds to deny the renewal. Commissioners said they were disturbed by the accounts and urged residents to continue to file verified complaints (311/911) and to document incidents; they also said they would work with the council office and inspectors to pursue any substantiated violations.
Takeaway: The renewal preserves the license but leaves the community and the licensee with a clearer directive: more documentation, joint problem‑solving and use of enforcement channels. The board also retained the option to take enforcement action should future complaints be substantiated.
Next steps: Residents said they will continue to document incidents and called on city sanitation and code enforcement to increase follow‑up. The council office offered to help coordinate.
