By Nate Leskovic
Times Staff
7/3/08

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The process works like this: After Town Meeting approves a license, it gets introduced in the State House as a bill by one of the town’s state legislators. It then follows the same procedure as other legislation. After consideration in the Joint Committee on Consumer Protection and Professional Licensure, both the House and Senate must approve the bill. The governor then has to sign it into law.
Only after approval of this legislation can Selectmen officially issue a license, if they are inclined to do so. The matter also requires a local public hearing and the state Alcoholic Beverages Control Commission needs to approve it.
The town charges $2,500 for a license.
In the past few years Town Meeting has endorsed four licenses for restaurants, though none have opened. The process has been hampered for a variety of reasons, which include legal realities as well as specific obstacles in each case.
“It’s better to err on the side of caution,” says Sen. Brian Joyce, a member of the Joint Committee on Consumer Protection and Professional Licensure, about the lengthy process.
Selectman John Shields agrees. “I don’t view it as a real problem, we don’t give out or anticipate giving out hundreds of licenses in the future,” he says. In fact the number of licenses a community can have is based on its population. “It’s convoluted, but in the end I think people are well-served,” Shields said.
Selectmen Chair Kathy Fagen says it is worth the wait. “I think it makes people a little more confident that we are being careful,” she says. “I don’t want to feel that we’re just rushing into this.”
Milton Landing
A few years ago, a liquor license was approved for the commercial space at Milton Landing. The petition made it through the State House. A proposed Acapulcos restaurant never became a reality. Residents objected and it eventually withdrew its license application.
New proprietors now plan to open an upscale, “white tablecloth” establishment in the space. The concept will be similar to the their Needham restaurant, Blue on Highland. Selectmen awarded the license this past spring after a series of meetings and compromises with condo owners.
John Collings, operating partner, says he hopes to begin construction July 1 and be open by November.
“We’re very excited about it,” Collings says.
Java Jo’s
Java Jo’s proprietor Vance Welch had a liquor license approved by Town Meeting in 2006 for his proposed restaurant in the old coffee shop, 556 Adams St. in East Milton Square. The petition, however, never made it to the State House.
Rep. Walter Timilty’s office has said it was held due to concerns of neighbors, while Sen. Brian Joyce’s office says it never received the petition from the town. Town officials say that a “certified” petition was never submitted to legislators. Before the issue was settled, the coffee shop was destroyed by fire last fall.
Because the restaurant pouring licenses are linked to a specific address, Welch had to request a new one after announcing plans to build at the former Video To Go location at 550 Adams St. Town Meeting approved the new license last fall.
The bill has passed the Senate and is close to making it through the House.
Welch says he hopes to start construction this summer and has presented preliminary designs to the building department. He says he didn’t want to move forward with plans until he was confident the license was secure. He also needs Appeals Board approval.
“We were in a holding pattern for a while,” he says.
Welch says he has Steve Tedesco, a prominent restaurant designer who worked on Davio’s at Patriot Place in Foxboro and Sonsie on Newbury Street, on board. The theme will be “new American style,” and he is currently working with a chef to develop a menu.
“We’re looking at this restaurant as something you could experience downtown,” Welch says. He has compared it to the Ashmont Grill in Dorchester.
The restaurant will have 25 to 30 tables, about 100 total seats, and a bar area for waiting patrons. Welch hopes it will be complete by Christmas.
2 Adams St.
Plans to build a five-story building on Adams Street in Milton Village in front of Extra Space Storage are moving along after developers recently received a variance needed from the Appeals Board. Part of the residential/commercial building is set aside for a restaurant.
Town Meeting approved a liquor license for the space in 2007. It is now moving forward in the State House and is almost through the Senate.
Groundbreaking for the building is scheduled for July. Ned Corcoran, attorney for the developers, says owners of West Roxbury’s West on Centre restaurant have discussed bringing an establishment to the proposed riverside building.
Central Avenue
Esprit du Vin’s Keith Mills proposed opening a restaurant next to his Central Avenue wine shop a few years ago, and Town Meeting responded in 2005 by approving a liquor license that made it through the State House. However, Mills’ plans did not work out.
Mills has been in contact with the Connelly family, who are planning on redeveloping the Hendrie’s building across the street. He is interested in space in the residential/commercial project.
“We’d still love to do something,” he says. “Location is key and we’d would really like to stay in this area (Central Avenue).”
If the opportunity arises, Mills would need a new license since it is a different address.