By K.B. Sherman, Contributing Writer
Grafton – Attorney Henry Lane, representing Grafton Flea Market, addressed the Board of Selectmen during its Dec. 15 meeting regarding the Flea Market’s application for a license to sell beer and wine to its patrons.
The Grafton Flea Market has been in business for about 50 years and is now run by the Peters family’s second generation. Located at 296 Upton St. (Rte. 140 on the Upton-Grafton town line), it has long sold food to visitors.
The market’s manager, Harry Peters, while admitting that he has no experience in running an establishment with a liquor/beer license, said that the operation would ensure no under-aged drinking or drinking abuse. Under the proposal, people who drove in could get beer or wine in a fenced-in area, from which minors would be barred. Consumption would be limited to the area surrounded by the fence.
Selectman Chair Craig Dauphinais said that petitioner’s remark that he could “hopefully control alcohol consumption” wasn’t very reassuring despite the plan to post signage to control drinking to a certain area within which people could also eat. In fact, he continued, this plan creates an “outdoor bar.” Lane disagreed, saying that its customers would be able to eat anywhere at the market but drinking would be restricted to the fenced-in area.
Police Chief Normand Crepeau Jr. spoke next, saying that his department was opposed to this petition on its face. He listed a long list of concerns, including the idea of a fenced-in beer area, issuing a restaurant license, the lack of an actual room for dispensing alcohol under MGL Ch. 138 versus the proposed shed. He continued that the petition does not meet the requirement for such to be in the public good and that the market sells a wide variety of knives – the last thing that would be a good idea in a drinking area.
Two hundred-plus people in the drinking area, he continued, is way outside the norm of 40 or 50 people in a bar. Monitoring minors, off-site drinking, and keeping beverages safe when the market will be closed are additional concerns.
“The beer will be stored just in a shed,” Crepeau noted.
Selectman Brook Padgett asked how this licensing would differ from that of the American Legion Post on Route 140.
“The Post is a private club, not an open market,” Lane said.
Dauphinais asked Lane if he was opposed to continuing this hearing until the board had more information and could see a more defined business plan. Lane agreed to continue the hearing, which will be at a date to be determined.