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'Artisanal' market with craft beer, kosher wines and spirits approved right across the street from Boston College over objections of school, police and the secretary of the Commonwealth

Rendering of proposed provisions store

Rendering of proposed store's interior.

The Zoning Board of Appeal today approved plans to replace a UPS store at 2193-2201 Commonwealth Ave. with a 900-square-foot "provision" market focusing on high-end beverages - and kosher wines - and prepared gourmet foods, aimed not at the thousands of underage Boston College students right across the street but at nearby residents looking for a more convenient place to stock up than Cleveland Circle or Brookline.

Joseph Hanley, attorney for owner Andrew Arbeeny, detailed what the proposed Mattie and Daughters Artisanal Provisions and Fine Spirits would stock at a board hearing today - the kosher wines are aimed at the area's Jewish community - but spent much of his time explaining the measures he said would keep those college students away - and would eliminate any possible conflicts with nearby St. Ignatius Church, just over the city line in Newton.

Arbeeny, a member of the Grealish family, which has long roots in Brighton, will not sell nips, kegs, scratchies or tobacco and will not offer wares through third-party delivery services - which BC students have proven particularly adept at using to get booze, Hanley said. All employees will receive detailed training in dealing with alcohol sales and all customers will have to supply ID, which, of course, will be carefully scrutinized and run through verification scanners, he said, adding anybody with an out-of-state ID will have to provide a second form of ID as well.

"It really is not a place that students would frequent and we're going to send that message loud and clear," he said - in contrast to the way nearby residents have a "yearning this type of amenity in their neighborhood." He added the store will not open until 11 a.m. on Sundays so as to present no problems for the Sunday family mass at St. Ignatius.

Yeah, right, snorted Tom Keady, vice president of government relations and community affairs at Boston College. "It's absolutely the worst possible idea," Keady said of the idea of a liquor store in a block of stores that BC students spend tons of time at. He noted that half of BC's 9,000 undergraduate students are under 21.

"I'm just stunned that this family, who we have worked with in the past, has come up with this 'great' idea; it's not a great idea," he said.

Also opposing the idea: Capt. Wayne Lanchester of BPD District D-14 and Boston Police Patrolmen's Association President Larry Calderone, who said the store would only mean more work for police dealing with thirsty underage undergrads.

Secretary of State Bill Galvin, who lives on Lake Street, also came out verbally swinging, saying he and his elderly neighbors, in particular, already suffer an onslaught of hard drinking BC students "well into the night" and the last thing residents need is another alcohol spigot for kids. "I have the cans to prove it," he said of his front yard.

"The idea that you could put a liquor store literally a few feet away from 5,000 dormitory students, most of whom are underage, is absurd," he said.

But other nearby residents, and the Brighton Allston Improvement Association, supported the proposal, saying the neighborhood deserves a place to easily pick up high-end items, and that it's not like BC students don't already have easy access to alcohol.

"A small boutique liquor store is not going to make any difference," Sheila Gleeson said. "All the students have all the access they could want to liquor."

BAIA member - and Undine Road resident - Anabela Gomes said it would be unfair for local residents to suffer just because BC can't seem to stem the tide of underage drinking.

"This is a local convenience zone, not a university convenience zone," she said, noting the official designation of the block's zoning district.

Gomes said she trusts the owners to "respect the law" and bar underage students from getting alcohol.

She concluded: "There are pros and cons, but the pros for the local residents are greater."

Also opposed: Mayor Ruthanne Fuller of Newton, although she did not testify and nobody read her letter detailing her reasons.

Now that Arbeeny has a variance to sell liquor - a forbidden use under the block's zoning - he has to go before the Boston Licensing Board to obtain a license to sell alcohol, which will mean at least one more hearing.

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Comments

after 10:30 Mass on Sunday it should work out.

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Voting closed 36

The post church crowd is the worst group in America. Ask any waiter.

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Voting closed 31

.

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Also, if Galvin is opposed to this, by default I am for it!

Right? Calling him the prince of darkness does a disservice to my lord Satan.

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Voting closed 13

One sip and they'll swear off the stuff for good.

(Also, if Galvin is opposed to this, by default I am for it!)

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Voting closed 51

There are good wines that have a hechsher these days. Gary's in West Roxbury has plenty of them.

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Voting closed 23

"The idea that you could put a liquor store literally a few feet away from 5,000 dormitory students, most of whom are underage, is absurd," he said.

Fun fact: Some universities run their own liquor stores...on campus!

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Voting closed 69

I thought the religious educators love to crow about how their education instills responsibility and moral values.

Why don't they just give the little darlings a sermon about self control? About appropriate behavior?

But, hey, much easier to claim success with that if you insist the secular world around you become an extended playpen.

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Voting closed 36

And it was directly under my dorm room. Somehow I survived without incident as did the neighborhood

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Voting closed 35

Exactly, BC sells alcohol at sports games. I wonder how much scrutiny they’ve received about underage drinking.

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Voting closed 39

It certainly took a while. I've been to many hockey games around Boston, and Conte Forum was years behind in selling beer in the general seating area.

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Voting closed 26

Selling alcohol in Alumni Stadium wasn't the problem.

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Voting closed 19

Are we a city of colleges or are we a city WITH colleges?

Meaning, are we zoning to assist to reduce stupid behavior of students? OR are we zoning because it meets the needs of the residents.

This is where we're at in this.

I don't see the problem here. The store is not meant for the college student, but meant for an adult who actually cares about the brand of wine they are drinking, not some college student looking to score that swill in a can called Natural Light.

To quote Peter Griffin "OMG who the hell cares". Seriously folks, the negativity for this place is just stupid. If this was yet another packie with nips, scratch tickets, and mad dog 20/20, yeah they have a point. But its not, and will not attract the standard packie people (including students)

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Voting closed 77

But your average college student is definitely not looking for craft beer or kosher wine, that's for damn sure. They want the cheap sh-- that will get them drunk -- like Natty Light.

I'd disapprove them for being "artisanal" because that's such an asinine description for what's basically a high-end convenience store, but at least they didn't describe their selection as "curated."

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Voting closed 42

They'd shell out for the good stuff!

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I’ve been privy to all of this drama for a few months now. I had no idea how much people could care about this. Lots of Facebook drama. It really was a downer to see that there are influential members of the community who tried their darnedest to cancel and delay the project. This was actually the second time it went before ZBA, last time there were people making a stink about how they weren’t notified enough in advance and ZBA deferred the hearing. I’m shocked it actually got approved.

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Voting closed 28

This looks like the kind of place you hit up and accidentally spend 150$ on fancy wine and tray snacks. College kids who are binge drinking aren't paying for 20$+ wine.

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Voting closed 18

Not a bad college job, though plenty of heavy lifting since all the storage in the basement. Given the location at the end of the B Line, we had a strict policy of NOT making change for all people trying to catch the train. I confess I did violate that policy just once for our Big Man On Campus, Doug Flutie himself. My first brush with greatness :-)

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Voting closed 28

But bring back College Sub

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Lower the drinking age so binge drinking isn't a thing. Other countries somehow have 18/19 as the legal age and survive. How much money, energy, and time is spent across country keeping 20 year old students away from alcohol? It was 18 for a long time until the 80s. I went to University in Ontario, where the drinking age was 19. It was a big deal at first - new and fun - but by 3rd year, it wasn't the goal of every outing and people were much less focused on access to and acquisition of drinks. Definitely not a big deal by graduation and starting work, whereas around here that's when they start to be legal!

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Voting closed 19

Lower the drinking age so binge drinking isn't a thing.

I don't think it works that way. Any age you name is somewhat arbitrary, and when as a matter of law you go from "you may not have any alcohol" to "you may have limitless amounts of alcohol in any form you like" overnight, you need education and social supports to prevent problems -- and we really do not have those in this country.

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Voting closed 14

already includes an annoyed shopkeeper.

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The church and Boston College should stfu considering they pay no property taxes and this store will pay taxes. NIMBY freeloading brats.

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Voting closed 53