FILED ON: 1/25/2016

HOUSE  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  No. 3975

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts

_______________

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

_______________

An Act authorizing the city known as 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) For purposes of this act, the word “map” shall refer to the map entitled “Watertown Proposed Liquor License Area Locations,” dated December, 2014, a copy of which is on file in the office of the town clerk.

(b) 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 pursuant to section 12 of said chapter 138, subject to the following conditions:

(1) One license may be granted to each of the following 4 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 use;

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

(2) No more than 2 licenses may be granted to establishments located within the Watertown square or Coolidge square area, the boundaries of which are shown on the map.

(3) One or more licenses may be granted to establishments located within the West End Riverfront area, the boundaries of which are shown on the map.  

(4) No more than 8 licenses may be granted to establishments located within the Arsenal Corridor Regional Malls area, the South Square area, the Union Market area, the Arsenal North area, and the Coolidge Hill area, the boundaries of which are shown on the map. 

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

SECTION 2. (a) No license granted pursuant to this act may be sold or otherwise transferred for financial consideration.

(b) If a license granted pursuant to this act is cancelled, revoked or no longer in use, it shall be returned physically, with all legal rights, privileges and restrictions pertaining thereto, to the licensing authority of the town of Watertown and the licensing authority may then grant the license to a new applicant under the same conditions as specified under this act provided that 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. The granting of a license to a new applicant pursuant to this subsection shall be the sole method by which a holder of a license granted pursuant to section 1 may be changed.  

SECTION 3. Notwithstanding section 12 of chapter 138 of the General Laws, 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 2 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.