Applicant seeks transfer of distributor liquor license to Springettsbury; nearby distributors oppose

Caitlin Lewis, an attorney with Barley Snyder, asked Springettsbury Township to approve an intermunicipal transfer of distributor liquor license ID 843 from 1017 North Sherman Street in York City to 3300 East Market Street in Springettsbury Township.

Lewis said the applicant, Legacy Beer and Beverage LLC, is the equitable owner by purchase agreement and that the owner, Robert Schaffer, operates Bobs Beer and Soda in Hanover. She told the board that municipal approval is a preliminary step under the liquor code and that final authority to grant a license transfer rests with the Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board (PLCB). "This is just the first step in the process," Lewis said.

Lewis said only minor exterior work is planned to convert the former Rite Aid at 3300 East Market Street to a distributor and that interior changes are needed to shift the building from retail use to a distributor. She provided proposed hours: MondaythroughThursday 8 a.m. to 9 p.m., Friday and Saturday 8 a.m. to 10 p.m., and Sunday 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. She estimated an opening around 2026 and said PLCB approval typically takes about four to six months after a municipal decision.

Two local beverage distributors and a resident spoke in opposition during public comment. Kevin May, who identified himself as owner of Self Serve Beverage, said he "obviously oppose[d]" the transfer and told the board the proposed location would be about 1.33 miles from his store and about 1.5 miles from another distributor. May cited what he described as a guideline of one distributor per 30,000 residents and said the township, which he said has about 27,000 people, is already overserved.

John Vaughn, who said he owns River Beverage and is a retired Northern Regional Police officer, told the board adding another distributor "is gonna take money from all of us." Vaughn also raised development-driven traffic concerns, referencing a proposed project across from the Rite Aid of about 147 condominiums and a Wawa store, and said increased cash-based retail activity could raise public-safety demands on police.

The board did not ask questions of Lewis or the public speakers during the session. No motion or vote on the transfer request was recorded; the chair adjourned the meeting after public comment.

If the township were to approve the intermunicipal transfer, the applicant would next apply to the Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board, which has the authority to grant or deny the license transfer, Lewis said.