Important March Reservoir Hill Public Meetings - No Community Meeting Tonight

NO RESERVOIR HILL

COMMUNITY MEETING TONIGHT

March is a very busy month with important public meetings that require community input.  We also know that you are very busy and have limited time.  Therefore, Reservoir Hill Improvement Council will not hold its March Community Meeting tonight, and encourages everyone to attend the two March public meetings described below.

Thursday, 6 March

Tuesday, 18 March

You are invited to a

PUBLIC MEETING

to discuss

REDUCING DENSITY OF LIQUOR STORES

Tuesday, 18 March 2014

John Eager Howard Recreation Center

2100 Brookfield Avenue

6:30 pm

Free dinner provided by John Eager Howard Recreation Center

Legislation is currently before the Baltimore City Council that would reduce the density of liquor stores in city neighborhoods, and tighten standards for tavern licenses.

Citizens Planning & Housing Association will join us

to lead a discussion of the legislation and how we can support it

Councilman Nick Mosby of the7th District will be present to discuss the legislation

We will also be joined by other West Baltimore community leaders and organizations, including Penn North Community Association, Druid Heights CDC, Coppin Heights CDC, and No Boundaries Coalition

An estimated 54.8 percent of Baltimore City Public School children have at least one liquor store within a quarter mile of their home, while only 13.1 percent have a grocery store within a quarter mile of their home.  As we have all experienced, Baltimore children who live in close proximity to alcohol outlets are at increased risk of seeing people selling drugs.

Central West Baltimore does not have very many non-conforming liquor stores.  We do have a number of establishments that hold tavern licenses, but which appear to operate more as packaged goods stores than neighborhood taverns, with the tavern license allowing them to sell alcoholic beverages for consumption on-and-off-site from 6 a.m. to 2 a.m. seven days a week

The proposed code requires that all taverns dedicate at least 50% of their sales and floor to on-site consumption to ensure they operate as a true tavern and not merely a packaged goods store.  Those with existing tavern licenses would be given two years to comply.