LETTER: Does Hopkinton Really Need Another Package Store

This letter was Submitted by Clelland Johnson of in response to an article published last week about a  

Dear Friends,

The developer of the Price Chopper plaza, i.e. Hopkinton Square, has convinced the Board of Selectmen to put a citizen’s petition on the warrant of next week’s Town Meeting that would grant a liquor license toCJPM Development LLC (the plaza developer).

This is not a good option for two very good reasons:

A fourth retail liquor license is unnecessary at this time 

• The population of Hopkinton at the last census was below the threshold set by the Massachusetts Alcoholic Beverage Control Commission (ABCC) for an issuance of additional retail license in Hopkinton. 
• In addition, while the Star Package license will reopen, Hopkinton has only had two active licenses for over a year.  Do we really need four licenses at this time?
• If approved, this new license will be a mere .63 miles from the closest existing license; and, all four retail licenses will be along a 2 mile stretch of Main and West Main Streets west of the center of town resulting in an overconcentration of liquor stores.

While a fourth license will be appropriate when Legacy Farms comes online, it is unnecessary at this time.  And, when Legacy Farms does come online, the new license will be better suited for placement on the east end of Hopkinton, not in the west half of Hopkinton where all the other licenses already are.

It is unfair to “earmark” the recipient of the new license

• Parties interested in opening a new liquor store in Hopkinton should be allowed to compete for the new license.  It is unfair and anti-competitive for the Town to “earmark” a liquor license for a single entity (in this case the developer of Price Chopper plaza) rather than opening up the application process to competition from all interested parties.  Is this really the way to encourage businesses to bring their people and money to Hopkinton?
• If approved, this license will mean that the number of licenses in Hopkinton will be “over and above” the number of licenses that the town qualifies for by virtue of its population.

In summary, it is unwise for the Town to approve this

unnecessary fourth liquor license and

it is an unfair exception to the rules

Please attend Town Meeting and

Vote No on Article 57

Thank you,

Clelland Johnson

Hopkinton Wine & Spirits