AMHERST — The Board of License Commissioners will hold a hearing on Thursday on a rare opportunity to acquire a liquor license for all-alcohol, off-premises sales, without having to purchase it on the open market for what could be a $100,000 or more transaction.
Commissioners will hold a virtual hearing at 5 p.m. on four applications received for the coveted license, one of just eight that Amherst is allowed in that category by state law. The license category gives a business the right to sell a wide range of alcohol products.
The license became available when University Liquors at 6 University Drive relinquished its license when the owners were unable to get renewal paperwork done by a Nov. 30 deadline, and had also lost access to its site.
Licensing Coordinator Steven McCarthy said its unusual for the board to be able to award such licenses, as businesses who own one either sell them or take the license with them when they move to a different location.
One of the applicants is for using the same vacated University Drive space for a store what would be known as Country Crossroads. The application comes from Nilknath Associates LLP of Belchertown, whose manager is Akshar Patel of Hadley.
Another new entity seeking the permit is 181 NP Amherst, LLC of Longmeadow, whose manager is Baharat Patel, also of Longmeadow. The business would be NP Amherst at 181 University Drive, next to the Big Y Supermarket.
The other two applications come from existing businesses seeking to upgrade their off-premises liquor licenses, where they are limited to selling beer and wine.
One is from Simra LLC of Amherst, whose manager is Atif Tasneem of Florence. That corporation does business as Amherst Market, 259 Triangle St.
The other comes from Mulva, LLC, an Amherst-based corporation managed by Peter Sylvan of Leverett, doing business as Cushman Market, 491 Pine St.
How the decision will be made is uncertain, though commissioners have discussed using criteria such as location.
The other seven who 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.
Scott Merzbach can be reached at smerzbach@gazettenet.com
