Bill would create two new alcoholic‑beverage licenses in Baltimore’s 40th District; sponsor says community agreements will limit impacts

Senator Antonio Hayes presented Senate Bill 972 to the Finance Committee, saying it would create two new alcoholic‑beverage licenses in Baltimore City’s 40th Legislative District: an exception to seating requirements to let a relocating small business called "Blacken and Blue" move into Pigtown, and a license for a nondairy creamery to offer certain alcoholic products. Hayes told the committee neither license would permit off-site consumption and that both would require a community agreement signed by the neighborhood.

"Typically whenever I create a new license... we mandate that they do aou with that business," Hayes said, describing the community agreement (referred to in the hearing as an "AOU" or "anou") as a negotiated set of conditions that is made part of the liquor-license record and enforceable by the Board of Liquor License Commissioners. He said communities register with the Baltimore City Department of Planning and named Berry Street/Pigtown and the Mount Vernon and Belvadier association as the relevant neighborhood organizations for the two proposals.

Hayes said the bill includes a technical amendment to give the Board of Liquor License Commissioners authority to waive one of the requirements of a C license and described prior collaborations with the Baltimore Police Department to reduce crime by limiting store hours in higher‑risk corridors — he cited the standard operating hours of 6:00 a.m. to about 2:00 a.m. versus a reduced 10:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m. schedule in some neighborhoods.

Senator Washington asked who determines the relevant community; Hayes replied that communities are those registered with the city's Department of Planning and that the specific neighborhood association for each business would negotiate the community agreement. Hayes said he had received concerns from a business owner and planned to follow up with police and the owner.

Next steps: The hearing on SB 972 ended in the transcript and the sponsor urged a favorable report; no committee vote appears in the supplied segments.