Mayor Wants 10 More Liquor Licenses for Mall and Downtown

Mayor Ted Bettencourt is asking the City Council to consider sending a home rule petition to the state legislature to create 10 additional liquor licenses in Peabody.

Bettencourt says he wants to split them between the Northshore Mall and downtown. He tells the Salem News he's just looking for restaurant licenses, not more package stores, as a way to attract or retain more family restaurants.

If successful, applicants could seek the licenses from the city for a mere $2,250, as opposed to shelling out $100,000 or more to existing license holders looking to sell.

Another key difference between these licenses and the ones allotted by census figures is that they would be specific to a location and could not be transferred to another entity. Once the operation went out of business, the license would return to the city.

The all-alcohol license currently held by Brooksby Village was created by home rule petition several years ago. Currently, the city is allotted 55 full liquor licenses with two more for veterans' clubs.

If the council does favor the proposal, it will be forwarded to the state legislature's Joint Committee on Consumer Protection and Professional Licensure.

The mayor's request will be taken up first by the council's Industrial & Community Development Committee Monday night (6:30 p.m.) before the full council weighs in on the proposal. The committee is chaired by Dave Gamache.

Councilor-at-Large Dave Gravel initiated a similar proposal specifically for the downtown area several months ago with a motion on the council floor to look into the matter.

Bettencourt said that in addition to city departments, input was also solicited from the Peabody Area Chamber of Commerce and other interested parties -- at least one of those being the Northshore Mall, according to the Salem News.