Peabody City Council approves extended liquor hours, auto-sales permit and license transfers

Peabody City Council on Thursday approved a set of special permits and a license transfer that will let a neighborhood market extend Sunday liquor hours and allow a new used-car dealer to operate in a BR1 district.

Nurmine Shaker, owner of E Market at 598 L Street, told the council she received a beer-and-wine license last year and asked to extend Sunday hours from 8 p.m. to 11 p.m. “That’s all I’m looking for. Just one day,” Shaker said. Councilor Gamash urged approval, saying the business suffered during nearby Law Street construction and that he had received no resident complaints. The council voted 10–0 to amend special permit 22-2023 to allow the later Sunday closing time.

On a separate matter, 22-year-old entrepreneur Jad Salah said he plans to operate Boss Motors LLC at 1R Newbury St., unit 301, selling used motor vehicles. Januzak, who identified himself as the current license holder at King Motors, said he supported the transfer. The council approved a special permit to allow automotive sales at the site and accepted a transfer of the Class 2 motor vehicle license to Boss Motors. Conditions recorded by the council include a maximum of 10 vehicles for sale at one time and an explicit prohibition on on-site vehicle repairs; the council identified a 2012 site plan for King Motors as the plan of record. Both the special permit and the license transfer passed by unanimous roll-call votes, 10–0.

Clerks and councilors noted minor scrivener errors in permit paperwork (unit numbering on Newbury Street) and confirmed that all prior permit conditions would carry over to the new holder. Councilors also voted to continue at least one separate restaurant/alcohol permit to April 9 for a site visit and legal review of parking eligibility.

The council moved on after recording the permit approvals; no appeals or objections were recorded in the meeting minutes related to these items.