spoke clearly in the referendum [in
1998]," said Cowger. "They don't
want liquor stores on every corner."
licenses in the past, including just
this spring when the Green Room in
West Ocean City sought to expand
its beer and wine operation to in-
clude liquor. The Green Room had
been located next to the DLC's
West Ocean City liquor mart for
many years and when the county
closed that dispensary last year to
focus on Shore Spirits, Green Room
owners Dave and Sara Hambury
argued that unless there was liquor
available their beer and wine busi-
ness would suffer.
panded license, the county with-
drew its protest and the Green
Room was given permission to sell
a large public outcry leveled against
the county in that situation.
ger underlined the difference between
the Green Room's request and any-
thing that might come out of Berlin.
Shore Spirits is more than four miles
away from the Green Room, said
Cowger, but only about two miles from
the former Berlin location.
he said of the Route 50 store.
ter, said Williams. It's an unfair in-
convenience, continued Williams.
"Why should the community be dis-
criminated against by saying, `you
can't have a county liquor store but
you can't have a private one either?'
I don't think the public would be very
supportive of that concept," he said.
vate business applying for a liquor
license, the mayor predicted. The
opposition from the DLC and the
county could counter-balance the
local support, though it's all hypo-
thetical until a business owner in
town takes the initiative and makes
a move to secure a license, some-
thing Williams expects eventually.
tached to a bar, hotel or restaurant
right now is that the county's gov-
erning alcoholic beverage code, Ar-
ticle 2B, does not allow the required
Class D beer, wine and liquor li-
cense in the town of Berlin. The
Class D license would allow on- and
off-sale of beer, wine and liquor and
require a small bar of some sort. An
amendment at the state legislature
to extend availability for that license
into Berlin is necessary.