COURT HOUSE – Middle Township Committee authorized the sale of the township’s sixth plenary liquor license June 17, seeking a minimum bid of $750,000. Whether or not there is a market for the license at that price is unclear.
The license became available when the township population topped 18,000 in the 2010 census. It was only last year (2018) in which township officials realized the township could add a sixth license to the five already in operation.
Mayor Timothy Donohue has taken the position that the municipality had to study the changed landscape which has emerged since the town sold its most recent license 20 years ago. At a number of meetings, he cited the emergence of breweries, wineries, and distilleries as part of that altered competitive landscape. The township is also concerned about protecting the value of existing licenses.
The resolution offering the available license sets up a bidding process with submission of sealed bids due by 10 a.m. Aug. 21. Any bid below the minimum $750,000 “will be discarded.”
A 10% deposit, submitted with the bid, is required, with the successful bidder providing the balance of the purchase price within 21 days.
“We have looked at this carefully,” Donohue said. “On the 21st we’ll see what happens,” he added.
