The MDA Policy for ABC License Applications

The MDA's ABC Committee has established a process that is triggered by an application for an ABC license or by a request for a modification to an existing license with the ABC Board. Applications are forwarded to the City of Richmond where they are distributed to the appropriate neighborhood and civic groups for comment. When the Committee Chair receives a request, he/she normally contacts the applicant who seeks to locate within the neighborhood and on urban business blocks that abut and are incorporated in our residential community. The purpose of this contact is to discuss with the applicant a request for voluntary restrictions.

ABC license holders conduct intense and intrusive businesses in terms of hours, customer comings and goings, parking demands, noise and other quality of life issues. Often their impact on the neighborhood can be exacerbated by attracting significant numbers of customers who are not neighborhood residents, without ties to the community, who may or may not be considerate of the residential uses I close proximity to the business establishment. We cherish the mix of uses in our neighborhood; we feel that they add to the desirability of urban living. All we ask is that neighborhood business owners realize that the density of our urban environment puts neighborhood residents in close proximity and that all neighbors, business and residents, need to be considerate of one another.

To that end, we request that ABC license applicants for ABC-ON beer/wine and mixed beverages VOLUNTARILY,

• Cease serving at 11 PM Sunday through Thursday, and
• Cease serving at midnight on Friday and Saturday.

We also request VOLUNTARY restrictions on ABC-OFF licenses that

• All beer/wine sales must be placed in clear plastic bags,
• No single serving of wine in containers less than 25.4 ounces (750 ml).
• No single serving cans or bottles of beer.
• No exterior pay telephones,
• No beer and wine sales after 9PM every day, and
• No more than 35% of the floor area of the establishment should be allocated to the display or storage of beer and wine.

These voluntary restrictions are designed to deal with trash and litter issues, drinking in public issues and other public safety issues in our residential neighborhood.

The entire MDA Board will vote on the position the MDA takes regarding an individual application when the ABC/City timeframe meets the Board's meeting schedule. If there is not a regular scheduled meeting before the date input is required, the ABC Chair has been authorized to take positions consistent with this policy. Positions available to the MDA are "no Opposition," Opposed with restrictions," or "Opposed."

Since licenses are granted by the Commonwealth of Virginia, the ABC Board of Virginia determines whether neighborhood civic association input is incorporated in the granting of the license. Specific questions about Virginia's ABC licenses and processes, as well as complaint and issues with license holders, can to addressed to Jaima Smith, ABC agent, [(804) 213-4624.]

Questions about the MDA's position can be addressed to the ABC Chair.

Granting or Denying ABC License Application

Applicants for an ABC license must:

• file an  application with the ABC Board;
• post a notice of the application on the front door of the establishment for 10 to 30 days; and
• publish the notice of application twice in the local newspaper.

Contact ABC for an application and detailed instructions. Additionally, the Board is required to conduct a background investigation, including a criminal history records check, on the applicant and notify the local governing body of each license application. Agents contact local officials, residents and business people in the vicinity of the establishment to see if there are any objections.

Some common citizen objections are that the prospective licensees' proximity to residential areas, churches and schools would adversely affect those facilities, or would affect real property values.

If there are no objections by local officials or citizens, and if the agent's investigation is completed satisfactorily, the local Special Agent in Charge can issue a license to an applicant anytime after the minimum 10-day posting period. If valid objections are raised, a hearing will take place. Your local ABC agent can provide a complete list of possible objections to a license application.

Click here for more information from the Virginia ABC website.