Liquor license expanded for bowling alley
By Melissa Muntz Community Reporter

Shrewsbury - Patrons of AMF Town and Country Bowl will now be able to drink while they play.

At its Oct. 15 meeting, the Board of Selectmen voted, 3-1, to expand the bowling alley's liquor license to allow for alcohol service in the lanes from noon until 10 p.m.

The previous license allowed for drinking on the lanes only from 6 to 10 p.m. for league bowlers. Now all of-age bowlers will be able to order alcoholic beverages in the lanes, as well as purchase drinks in the lounge area.

The board cited AMF's good standing with the Police Department and lack of alcohol-related incidents at the site as reason to move forward with the expansion.

The board discussed limiting the alcoholic service on the lanes during "Extreme Bowling," when the business takes on a club atmosphere by lowering the lights, turning on black lights and bringing in a disc jockey.

Board members expressed concern that it would be tougher to police underage drinking during these conditions, but AMF guaranteed the board that added staff and glow-in-the-dark wrist bands would allow them to monitor alcohol consumption even in the darker atmosphere.

Selectman James McCaffrey voted against the expansion, saying he was worried about people drinking in a lane next to a family with small children.

Selectman Bruce Card was absent from the meeting.

In other Board of Selectmen news, Matthew Grenier withdrew an application to open a used car business at 787 Hartford Turnpike after being told that issues with zoning at the location and license availability would have forced the board to deny his petition.

Grenier needs a Class 2 license to purchase vehicles at auction, which he would then sell on the Internet from the location on Hartford Turnpike. Although Grenier would be selling the vehicles on the Internet rather than from the lot, he would still need the Class 2 license, none of which are available at this time.

In 1999, the board limited the number of Class 2 licenses to 20. All are currently in use.

Selectman John Lebeaux said it's a policy that may need to be reconsidered, as Internet-based business has grown substantially since that time.

Even with the license, Grenier would still need a variance from the Zoning Board of Appeals to operated the business, as 787 Hartford Turnpike is currently zoned limited industrial and does not allow for a used-vehicle business.