Wine and Beer on Marple's Ballot (Springfield, Media: sales, hotel, neighborhood)

[WaffleCone]

Any other old farts in Marple voting to keep their town dry? I think Aldan has a similar question.

A 5-minute drive in any direction takes you to a restaurant where you can have a beer, or you could BYOB here. Hop on a bus and you can even get your pot in Newtown Square. I get that we don't have the finest of dining establishments (unless you count Thunderbird) but every town doesn't need a restaurant scene.

Liquor licenses are well established in Havertown, Newtown, etc. When the green light comes to Marple, it will be chain places rushing in to bulldoze older spaces where they don't fit. And it totally changes the value of the Don Guanella property once alcohol is allowed. It will be much harder to stop full-scale development of that site.

I'm not really opposed to Giant selling beer and wine, but they should figure out better lighting in their parking lot before they tackle this.

Anyway, I plan to vote NO. Pretty sure it will pass though.

[Fireshaker]

Call me crazy, but I don't see how allowing liquor sales is going to lead to zoning and development issues. If anything, those issues are caused more by local governments 1) not having their stuff together with commonsense laws around land-use planning, and 2) allowing developers to run roughshod and get away with whatever they want. That has nothing to do with whether your local Giant sells beer / wine or if it doesn't.

If Marple is so concerned, they should make sure they have the right systems and people in place. But blaming alcohol seems incredibly misplaced. Marple is a solid area with good schools that's still relatively affordable. That means it's going to be a continual target for development regardless of who sells what.

[cpomp]

Typical antiquated PA view on liquor laws and licenses... Its hardly the end of the world.

A group of old bats who lived near the ACME in Media threw a hissy fit when that store began selling beer and wine, claiming it would bring about all sorts of problems... fast forward years later to present day... we are all still alive and well.

[cpomp]

Originally Posted by Fireshaker

Call me crazy, but I don't see how allowing liquor sales is going to lead to zoning and development issues. If anything, those issues are caused more by local governments 1) not having their stuff together with commonsense laws around land-use planning, and 2) allowing developers to run roughshod and get away with whatever they want. That has nothing to do with whether your local Giant sells beer / wine or if it doesn't.

If Marple is so concerned, they should make sure they have the right systems and people in place. But blaming alcohol seems incredibly misplaced. Marple is a solid area with good schools that's still relatively affordable. That means it's going to be a continual target for development regardless of who sells what.

Exactly!

[Redddog]

Originally Posted by cpomp

Typical antiquated PA view on liquor laws and licenses... Its hardly the end of the world.

A group of old bats who lived near the ACME in Media threw a hissy fit when that store began selling beer and wine, claiming it would bring about all sorts of problems... fast forward years later to present day... we are all still alive and well.

What is wrong with people?! What were the problems they forcasted in Media?

Not long ago in Old City, there was a group of old bats who were protesting a boutique restaurant/hotel development on a stretch of 2nd Street that would benefit greatly. They claimed that it would attract drunken college kids that would destroy the neighborhood.

I don't know many drunken college kids that end up at the boutique hotel bar to get their rough-housing on.

It's ridiculous.

[cpomp]

Originally Posted by Redddog

What is wrong with people?! What were the problems they forcasted in Media?

Not long ago in Old City, there was a group of old bats who were protesting a boutique restaurant/hotel development on a stretch of 2nd Street that would benefit greatly. They claimed that it would attract drunken college kids that would destroy the neighborhood.

I don't know many drunken college kids that end up at the boutique hotel bar to get their rough-housing on.

It's ridiculous.

Fear of change and lack of control over changes brings out the worst in people.

The whole liquor thing is beyond ridiculous though, you would think its the prohibition era.

[WaffleCone]

Fear of change. Possibly. As it stands I think Marple is effectively off-limits to big chain restaurants and the large development companies who anchor stores and town centers around them. That's not to say that mega-retail can't do damage but it's a harder without the restaurants.

I'm not against any of those things in my town: bars, restaurants, beer in supermarkets, targets, walmarts, etc. I'm against them going into already crowded spaces in an unplanned manner. Marple's zoning is as old as its alcohol laws and should be fixed first.

Specifically around the Don Guanella tract, that becomes hugely more more interesting as a town center with alcohol flowing. If Giant and Wegmans want beer and wine in Marple, get that space preserved first.

Just my 2c

[cpomp]

Originally Posted by WaffleCone

Fear of change. Possibly. As it stands I think Marple is effectively off-limits to big chain restaurants and the large development companies who anchor stores and town centers around them. That's not to say that mega-retail can't do damage but it's a harder without the restaurants.

I'm not against any of those things in my town: bars, restaurants, beer in supermarkets, targets, walmarts, etc. I'm against them going into already crowded spaces in an unplanned manner. Marple's zoning is as old as its alcohol laws and should be fixed first.

Specifically around the Don Guanella tract, that becomes hugely more more interesting as a town center with alcohol flowing. If Giant and Wegmans want beer and wine in Marple, get that space preserved first.

Just my 2c

Delaware County is dense and packed, and the parcels for large scale development are becoming fewer and fewer.

As for protecting the land from greed, I am all for it, but I don't think liquor laws are a factor in the development of large parcels in Delaware County, its been proven through history. I find most battles against liquor sales to be ridiculous, like the one in Media I mentioned above.

The Marple situation for development is more of a supply and demand situation, even though it seems the area around Springfield is exhausted with retail. Housing doesn't surprise me though since its a desirable somewhat affordable suburb.