HOULTON, Maine — The Houlton Town Council has denied a request from a downtown restaurant owner to serve beer and wine outside.
Fred Grant, owner of Market Pizza, was seeking an extension of his liquor permit for his 23 Market Square restaurant so that diners seated at two picnic tables would be allowed to consume beer or wine outdoors.
If approved, it would have been the first restaurant to allow the consumption of beer and wine outdoors in Houlton’s downtown.
After a lengthy discussion, councilors unanimously rejected Grant’s request during a Monday night council meeting.
Houlton does not have a policy to regulate outdoor dining or alcohol consumption on town-owned property. The sidewalks outside of Market Pizza, as well as every downtown establishment, are owned by the town.
Town Manager Marian Anderson said that while she applauded the concept and appreciated Grant’s dedication to bringing more elements to Houlton’s downtown, she could not recommend approving the application. The town would need to create a policy before any such application could be granted, Anderson said.
Councilor Dennis Harmon said he was opposed to the application because it could create a Pandora’s box type scenario with other downtown establishments seeking similar arrangements. It also could create a scenario where “pop-up bars” could become more commonplace, he said.
“Essentially everyone with a liquor license would have the right for a permit extension,” he said.
The only other downtown businesses that have any type of seating outdoors are Sadies Bakery with a pair of picnic tables and the County Co-Op, which has a small table and chairs. Neither of those establishments have liquor licenses.
The other downtown businesses that serve alcoholic beverages are Bastions Tavern, Courtyard Cafe, The Vault, Uncontained Art and Step in Time. Consumption of alcohol outside is only allowed at O’Kelly’s Irish Pub and the DownUnder Sports Pub, both of which are located on the North Road and are considered private properties.
Councilor Eileen McLaughlin also questioned whether the outdoor dining setup created at Market Pizza left enough room for those in wheelchairs or scooters to use the sidewalk.
Anderson said everything is up to code in terms of the allowable space for people to safely pass.
“We have no intention of telling them they need to remove their tables and chairs,” Anderson said.
