Proposed Papa Gino’s to be Dry-August 21, 1979

The application submitted by Papa Gino’s for a beer and wine license at its proposed restaurant in the Star Market shopping center on Nahatan Street appears headed for significant trouble as the Board of Selectmen convenes a public hearing tonight at 8:00 p.m. Opposition to the request has crystallized rapidly, highlighted by a formal petition signed by 19 residents living along Rock Street and Monroe Street whose properties abut the rear and side boundaries of the bustling shopping center parcel.

In their petition, the concerned neighbors cited persistent neighborhood grievances, pointing to existing parking shortages, heavy traffic congestion, and chronic littering problems. Furthermore, the residents emphasized social disturbances: “The drag racing and young people hanging around the lot are disruptive as well… Radios blasting and horns blowing are a regular weekday feature.” Papa Gino’s proposed restaurant is slated for the Lenox Street end of the shopping center, occupying a vacant portion of the former Sears store space.

Key members of the Board of Selectmen indicated strong resistance to the licensing request even before the formal hearing commenced. Selectmen Chairman Joseph F. Curran stated flatly that he is opposed to the application and does not anticipate that the permit will be approved. “I don’t see anyone looking with favor on putting another license uptown,” Curran remarked, adding that the issuance of alcoholic beverage licenses must be predicated on demonstrable public need, a criterion he believes has not been met.

Similarly, Selectman Mary J. Fox expressed deep reservations, noting that while she is not absolutely opposed to every new drinking license in principle, she is “pretty close to it.” Fox drew a direct comparison to a previous petition that the board rejected for Town Pizza at Broadway and Nahatan Street, asking rhetorically, “What makes this license different from that one?” She stressed that location and neighborhood sentiment are paramount considerations when evaluating permit requests, contrasting the residential proximity of the Nahatan Street plaza with successful commercial approvals like the beer and wine license granted to the racquetball courts at Park Place industrial park off Route 1, which sits far removed from residential homes. Fox added that the only condition under which she might consider supporting a new beer and wine permit would be a strict requirement that alcohol is never served independently, but only as an accompaniment to meals.

Archival Note: This article has been dynamically reconstructed from the original public record print archives of the Patriot Ledger