Selectmen approve liquor license transfer for former Red Maple proprietors
Staff Writer
GUILFORD — The selectmen thought long and hard on Jan. 8 before ultimately granting a request by a downtown business to transfer its liquor license to their new location. The board voted 3-2 to grant Martha Ward and Paul Zimmerman’s request to transfer their liquor license for the Red Maple Inn to their new venue.
The board allowed the transfer of the liquor license from their former location to the business’s new location at the former Braeburn Inn. Ward and Zimmerman purchased the inn located on 5 North Street last month. The two purchased the building for $10,000 after the town had foreclosed on the tax acquired property.
The business partners had planned to renovate the inn by restoring the downstairs Laundromat and the six upstair rooms for rent. The two later decided to move their pub into the new venue in mid-December. The selectmen were conflicted about granting the liquor transfer because of the pub’s entrance being too close to the United Methodist Church. The board concluded the 300-foot restriction depended upon on which church entrance was used. Town officials also had asked a state liquor enforcement official about interpreting the distance requirements.
“She told us the state was pretty flexible about it. If the town didn’t have any problems then the state probably wouldn’t have any problems either,” said Town Manager Tom Goulette.
Selectmen Rick Lander, Mike Dexter and Bill Thompson voted in favor of the license transfer, while selectmen Peter Martel and Kent Burdin voted against it.
In other action, the board voted to table a request from the Guilford-Sangerville Sanitary District seeking assistance in recouping unpaid bills. District officials were in hopes the town would give a portion of proceeds derived from selling tax acquired properties which also had outstanding sewer bills.
The board wanted to research how other communities handled the situation before making a decision on the district’s request. Goulette cautioned the board if the town granted the sanitary district’s request to pay unpaid bills, it would likely receive requests from other organizations in a similar situation.
“What makes it difficult is that the people who get foreclosed on usually have other tax liens against them. The town is first in line for tax liens, but we don’t give the bank or the water district any money either so the question becomes how far down the line do we go in paying creditors,” Goulette said.
The board also approved to repair two floors in the Friends of Community Fitness Center. The town will repair the broken tiles in the ladies bathroom and replace the indoor/outdoor carpet in the locker room. Goulette estimates the repairs will cost about $2,800. The selectmen voted against a third project request. The board declined to replace vinyl commercial flooring in the former school’s gymnasium. Town officials estimated the nearly $13,000 cost to replace the surface was prohibitive.
The selectmen will meet next at 7 p.m. on Tuesday, Feb. 5 in the municipal building.