Published in the December 15, 2016 edition
By BILL LaFORME
NORTH READING — The effort to resolve the status of a liquor license held by the former Tedeschi’s Food Market on North Street will continue Monday night when the Board of Selectmen holds a show cause hearing that could set the stage for the license reverting to the possession of the town.
The hearing will provide the owner of the former Tedeschi’s, Chris Pendleton, with the opportunity to convince selectmen that he should be allowed to hold the license, although it is not currently associated with an active business in town. The license is scheduled to expire Dec. 31.
Selectmen initially rejected a request back in August to transfer the liquor license to a business proposed at the time that would have sold beer and wine, tobacco products and lottery, calling that plan incompatible with the town’s strategic vision for developing Route 28.
Also at that time, the Selectmen rejected the license transfer because it appeared the lease for the new store at 202 North St. prevented it from selling many of the goods usually found in a convenience store.
The license transfer came before the Board of Selectmen again in November, when the board refused to transfer the license again, this time to 4 Lowell Rd. This time the board cited several reasons, including: the likelihood it would increase traffic in the location; there is already a full service liquor store two buildings down the street, a license there was opposed by residents in the past and the license is not in the public need.
