FILED ON: 8/4/2015

HOUSE  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  No. 3720

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts

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In the One Hundred and Eighty-Ninth General Court
(2015-2016)

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An Act authorizing the town of Watertown to grant 15 additional licenses for the sale of alcoholic beverages to be drunk on the premises.

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court assembled, and by the authority of the same, as follows:
 

SECTION 1. (a) Notwithstanding section 17 of chapter 138 of the General Laws or any other general or special law to the contrary, the licensing authority of the town of Watertown may grant 15 additional licenses for the sale of all alcoholic beverages to be drunk on the premises under section 12 of said chapter 138, subject to the following conditions:

(1) Four licenses for the sale of all alcoholic beverages to be drunk on the premises pursuant to said section 12 of said chapter 138, shall be granted to the following locations:

(a) the premises located at 321 Arsenal Street, currently the Arsenal Center for the Arts;

(b) the approved project located at 202 Arsenal Street, for restaurant use;

(c) the approved project located at 570 Arsenal Street, for hotel/restaurant use;

(d) for the approved project located at 60 Howard Street, for restaurant use.  

(2) Two licenses for the sale of all alcoholic beverages to be drunk on the premises pursuant to said section 12 of said chapter 138, to establishments located within the town’s “Watertown Proposed Liquor License Area Locations,” as that district is defined by the town’s zoning map, as it existed as of December, 2014, upon approval of and under conditions set by the licensing authority of the town.

(3) One license for the sale of all alcoholic beverages to be drunk on the premises pursuant to said section 12 of said chapter 138, for a premises located within the “West End Riverfront area of Pleasant Street,” as defined by the Strategic Framework for Economic Development as it existed as of August, 2011, and also shown on a map entitled “Watertown Proposed Liquor License Area Locations,” dated December, 2014.  

(4) Three licenses for the sale of all alcoholic beverages to be drunk on the premises pursuant to said section 12 of said chapter 138, to establishments located within the town’s “Watertown Proposed Liquor License Area Location” as it existed as of December, 2014 for premises located within the areas of the Arsenal Mall and the Watertown Mall, upon approval of and under conditions set by the licensing authority of the town. 

(5) Five licenses for the sale of all alcoholic beverages to be drunk on the premises pursuant to said section 12 of said chapter 138, to establishments located within the town's “Strategic Framework for Economic Development”, as that district is defined by the town's zoning map, as it existed as of August, 2011, upon approval of and under conditions set by the licensing authority of the town.

(b) The licenses issued under subsection (a) shall be subject to all of said chapter 138 except said section 17.

SECTION 2. Once a license is granted pursuant to this act, the licensing authority shall not approve the transfer of such license to any other location, but it may grant the license to a new applicant at the same location if the applicant files with the licensing authority a letter from the department of revenue and a letter from the department of unemployment assistance indicating that the license is in good standing with those departments and that all applicable taxes, fees and contributions have been paid. No license granted hereunder may be sold or otherwise transferred for financial consideration; and the granting of a license to a new applicant, as provided for herein, shall be the sole method by which a license holder may be changed.

If a license granted pursuant to this act is cancelled, revoked or no longer in use, it shall be returned physically, with all of the legal rights, privileges and restrictions pertaining thereto, to the licensing authority and the licensing authority may then grant the license to a new applicant under the same conditions specified in this act.

SECTION 3. Notwithstanding said section 12 of said chapter 138, the licenses authorized by this act shall be subject to a supplemental annual fee, to be set by the town council, in addition to the annual fee for existing alcoholic beverage licenses in the town of Watertown, but not to exceed two times the amount payable for such an existing license for the applicable license year. The additional revenue from these fees shall be deposited into an economic development account in the town of Watertown and be expended consistent with the purposes of that account.             

SECTION 4. This act shall take effect upon its passage.