UPDATED: Moorestown Taking Measured Approach to Liquor License Implementation

The township is taking a measured approach to implementing the results of last week’s election, authorizing the issuance of liquor licenses in Moorestown.

Township manager Scott Carew told council, “I would like to not look too far in advance in terms of the questions residents will have, like, ‘How much will licenses be?’ ... It’s important we take this one step at a time.”

Step one, according to township attorney Thomas Coleman, is waiting for the county and the state Division of Alcoholic Beverage Control (ABC) to certify the results of the election, which unofficially had with nearly 60 percent of the vote. Township clerk Patty Hunt said she expects the county to have the results certified by Friday.

However, ABC spokesman Zach Hosseini said ABC’s role in the local implementation of liquor licenses is very limited and the state does not need to certify the election results. When asked about the discrepancy between the township’s and ABC’s positions, Coleman stood by his interpretation of the law, insisting the township must have the results certified by ABC.  

Either way, after the results are certified the township must pass an ordinance laying out both the stipulations in the second referendum (which would restrict licenses to the Moorestown Mall), as well as other finer points, such as what the minimum price for a license would be, whether the township will bid out the licenses (which Coleman and Carew both suggest), and how many it will administer.

Coleman said that ordinance must also be sent to ABC for review. However, according to Hosseini, while ABC keeps a record of every municipality’s liquor license ordinances, it does need to rubber-stamp each one.

Hosseini also reiterated that ABC had already given a earlier this year, meaning the question did not appear to conflict with state statute, but that the approval did not preclude someone from challenging the stipulation.

Mayor John Button and Carew said they’re also trying to arrange a meeting with PREIT (Pennsylvania Real Estate Investment Trust) to ascertain its plan of action. 

PREIT, which previously apiece, is the only known potential buyer at this point.

UPDATED: Though he was unspecific on a time frame, PREIT president Joe Coradino said Tuesday the company is planning to purchase the licenses "as soon as humanly possible."

"That move is dependent on their availability," he said. "I have no idea what process the township has to go through."

Coradino believes PREIT will finalize a couple of agreements with restaurants by the end of January, he said. "At that point, we're going to be coming to the township."

Carew explained that, “I don’t want there to be any kind of perception that there’s any kind of collusion (between the township and PREIT) … They’re doing their thing; we’re doing our thing.”

Coleman said the turnaround time on the various approvals and certifications could be as quick as a week.