[stinger]

BROOKHAVEN — In an attempt to secure a liquor license for the borough, a petition drive will take place from noon-3 p.m. Feb. 23 in council chambers at borough hall on Cambridge Road.

Brookhaven has been a “dry” town since its founding, but council believes that by having a restaurant able to sell alcoholic beverages more shoppers and visitors in general will be drawn to the town.

Borough Solicitor Mike Maddren, during Monday’s council meeting, explained that for a question to be placed on the ballot, it is necessary for the borough to collect no less than 670 signatures on the petition. If that is successful, the residents of the borough will have the opportunity to let their feelings be known during the May primary election.

“There is a local option under the liquor law and the referendum vote is required to permit liquor in the borough,” said Maddren. “It will be a retail license, which is the kind every restaurant has.”

Maddren said if the process is successful, the door will be open to apply for the liquor license.

“It’s not like you can just go and apply to the Liquor Control Board for a liquor license,” Maddren said. “The licenses are given out by population and Delaware County has a lot of liquor licenses.”

For the borough to obtain a license, it will be necessary for a transfer to occur from another municipality in the county.

Maddren said if the license is approved, council will have a lot of control about what business would receive the approval to sell alcohol.

[boxofrainman]

Is this a good thing? Personally I would like to conduct a survey between wet town and dry town and see how many accidents involving drinking and how many traffic stops involved drinking. Then we'll see if its good for Brookhaven.

[Boro Friend]

Drive drunk in this town and one of Chief Eller's boys will get you. Brookhaven has been a unique place in a lot of ways. That's why we stayed.

[boxofrainman]

I hear you.

[ExJet]

Brookhaven residents want nice restaurant to go to instead of having to leave the town to grab a bite to eat. No restaurant will even consider Brookhaven unless they can offer their diners a drink with their dinner. We need a boost here! Things are stagnant and the types of stores we have in Brookhaven stink (with the exception of a few). And drinking and driving... are you kidding me??? Where do you think all the drunks from surrounding areas go after night out drinking - Tom Jones! Been like that for years. Come on now - you need to come up with a better excuse than that! There are too many nice restaurants out there so let's bring one of them here. It's time....
Have a good evening.

[Boro Friend]

Well ex jet to be clear I was giving an opinion not an excuse. I don't need to make an excuse for anybody or anything. . I have no idea where drunks go but I have heard a tremendous amount of feedback about not driving through Brookhaven drunk. There are people I have meant on the job that wouldn't drive through this town on a bet and I do get around in my line of work. I guess you just know more about it. I always thought with a little imagination they could land a cracker barrow or some kind of restaurant like that . It would bring costumers in for miles. I have suggested that to different people who has stopped here looking for a vote. Another thought is possibly Tom Jones will get the license and then it could be one stop shopping for the drunks you say are coming through town. That could be the boast we are seeking .You say it's time, I say it's not. But I am not going to argue with you. I'm not that moved one way or another.These guys will do what they do and then we will be the final judge. That pretty well wraps it up for me .You have a great evening also.

[ExJet]

ExJet to ExJet: Thats funny (ha ha).

[HappyGoLucky]

I personally love that this town is dry. I do not mind driving 10-15mins to go to a resetuarant in Springfield or Media, but on the flip side, I do know some who would love to be able to walk up to a local Abblebees and sit at the bar and watch a game and walk home (opposed to driving home drunk). The article states that the council would have a lot of control as to who gets the license. Does this mean that if Brookhaven were able to get one, they would hold on to it until a restaurant moved in, or would Tom Jones, Coccos be able to apply for it? or would the be wasting their time because Brookhaven is holding out for something bigger to come along? I know some people who go to Coccos in Aston because they can get a drink w/ their meal and watch a game, what if Brookaven Coccos relocated and went bigger to compete w/ Aston, would they get it, or would Brookhaven still hold onto the license waiting for a resetuarant? I think these are all questions that I would need answered before signing a petition. Will all council be present at this petition signing to answer questions and hear the concerns of citizens who wish the town to stay dry?

[HappyGoLucky]

Not to jump off topic, but if Brookhaven is looking to improve, esp with the younger generations in town, they would rather see more activities for the kids than a resteraunt serving a drink with its meal. My kids and their friends LOVE the dances that Brookhaven holds every so often. I was just talking to a dad from Aston yesterday who said his daughter loved it last time and it was the first one she attended and wished that they would have more, because there are not many options for preteen kids , on a friday/sat night other than CN skate or iceworks. Parents trust dropping their kids off at the dances because it was so well supervised by the town watch people, opposed to dropping them off at CN or iceworks with no supervision. We don't need a restaurant in that field across from Giant, we need more althletic fields. I hear parents of Brookhaven complain all fall long about how Brookhaven does not have a soccer league and how they have to go over to Aston or about how Brookhaven doesnt have enough fields for all softball/baseball teams to get in practices. We are losing a lot of our kids to Aston athletics because we have no leagues here or the leagues we do have we are allowing more and more kids from outside the community to play that parents are taking them out of Brookhaven to put them into Aston. So my point is, as one of the younger generations of this town, a place that I can go get a drink w/ my meal is not at the top on the list of things that would want to make me stay here in Brookhaven. Its what Brookhaven can offer my children and family as a whole.