Marshfield: Roche Bros. gets the green light for alcohol license

Marshfield Selectmen voted unanimously Monday night to grant Roche Bros. a wine and malt license, the first supermarket consent so far in town.

However, the Selectmen’s hearing room was packed with residents against the application, with some, like John Feeney, fearing younger grocery store workers will have easy access to alcohol, “I want a good, solid storage room.”

Whereas others, like Mike Spiro, are concerned with Roche Bros.’ short distance to public facilities, considering the store is on Route 139 and right across the street from 3 schools, “I have four teenagers in town and three of them driving; I don’t think we need another alcohol selling place that close to the schools and the Boys and Girls Club.”

But Marshfield Selectmen recognized that there’s no disagreement against the beer and wine application from the school system’s Superintendent and after hashing out security precautions, Roche Bros.’ officials noted a total of twenty-four cameras will be added upon approval.

In February, Marshfield Selectmen rejected a beer and wine application by Shaw’s and Star Market.

As part of a new legislation that grants additional licenses to grocery stores, Star Market was the first to come forward, but was rejected because its location on Ocean Street already has four stores that sell alcohol.

However, Chair Matt McDonough noted there’s only one alcohol store closest to Roche Bros., “I think, for me, personally, when I looked at that particular application there was the saturation issue that went against that application. Even though there’s proximity of Blanchard’s to this store, I think that it would help the common need and public good.”

Selectman John Hall stated he had a problem granting one alcohol license to a major supermarket but not the other. He asked that the board discuss at a future date a possible home-rule petition for this fall’s special town meeting which would grant Shaw’s and Star Market a beer and wine license as well.

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