AMHERST — With the first all-alcohol, off-premises liquor license back in the town’s hands in recent memory, those interested in opening a new package store in Amherst are invited to begin submitting applications to obtain it.

Town officials announced this week that due to University Liquors, 6 University Drive, relinquishing its license for failure to get paperwork completed by a Nov. 30 deadline, the Board of License Commissioners can accept and then act on new requests made for this license.

The license allows for the sale of beer and wine, as well as hard liquor. Amherst is limited to eight licenses in that category and those licenses typically have significant value, with licenses periodically being dealt as part of private transactions. One such license is believed to have recently sold for $100,000.

The remaining seven businesses that hold all-alcohol, off-premises licenses are Amherst Wines and Spirits, Big Guy Liquors, R&P Package Store, Russell’s Liquors, Cousins Market, Spirit Haus and Watroba’s Liquors.

Applications are due to the Amherst Inspection Services at Town Hall by Feb. 22 at 4:30 p.m.

Licensing Coordinator Steven McCarthy said a public hearing on each applicant will begin March 16, and could go additional days if there are many applications.

“The public hearing will be opened and closed on each applicant and then once all have been heard, eventually a motion will be made to approve one application,” McCarthy said. “The other applications would then need to be denied due to no more available licenses.”

At a recent meeting, the commissioners took input from a town attorney with KP Law, informing them to use a simple process that consider all applications that have been received, rather than using a first-come, first-served strategy or a lottery system.

Public comment will be accepted before and at the meeting.

The commission’s decision will then be made by the community feedback and the public need, using criteria in the Ballarin Inc. v. Licensing Boards of Boston case, the board’s regulations and in light of considerations set forth in the Amherst master plan.

Commissioner Gaston de los Reyes said applicants should make the case to the board that they are in alignment with the town’s values.

Commissioner Hallie Hughes said the nearly two months businesses will have to apply gives them sufficient time to secure space from which to operate.

Public comment and questions can be made in advance by sending email to McCarthy at mccarthys@amherstma.gov.

Scott Merzbach can be reached at smerzbach@gazettenet.com.]]>