Section 3.105. Quarterly filing of applications and application hearings

(a) Issuance of economic development licenses is limited to two licenses per calendar year in counties of the first through fourth class and one license per calendar year in counties of the fifth through eighth class.

(b) Quarterly filing periods are established for all counties as follows:

1st Quarter—January 1 through March 31

2nd Quarter—April 1 through June 30

3rd Quarter—July 1 through September 30

4th Quarter—October 1 through December 31

(c) At the end of the first quarter, every properly filed license application in a county will be subject to an administrative hearing before a Board hearing examiner in accordance with section 464 of the Liquor Code (47 P. S. § 4-464). Second quarter applications will be held in abeyance until after hearings are held for first quarter applications and a determination is made by the Board as to the availability of a license within the county.

(d) If a vacancy continues to exist in a county after hearings are held and a determination has been made by the Board, properly filed applications for the next quarter will be scheduled for hearings.

(e) In addition to any objections to, or support of, an application for the issuance of a license, an applicant shall provide evidence at the administrative hearing that it has exhausted reasonable means to find a suitable license within the existing county quota law. Evidence includes the following:

(1) Evidence that the applicant, or the applicant’s agent, made contact with existing restaurant liquor licensees, if a restaurant liquor economic development license is sought, or existing eating place retail dispenser licensees, if an eating place retail dispenser economic development license is sought, in the county.

(i) The purpose of the contact is to inquire as to the availability of the licensee’s license for purchase.

(ii) In counties of the first through fourth class, the number of licensees contacted by the applicant, or the applicant’s agent, must be equal to or greater than 50% of the existing restaurant liquor or eating place retail dispenser licensees in the county.

(iii) In counties of the fifth through eighth class, the number of licensees contacted by the applicant, or the applicant’s agent, must be equal to or greater than 75% of the existing restaurant liquor or eating place retail dispenser licensees in the county.

(2) Evidence that the applicant, or the applicant’s agent, has offered to purchase restaurant liquor or eating place retail dispenser licenses in the county that are in safekeeping at the time the application is filed with the Board, including the offered and requested amounts.

(3) An explanation as to why it is not economically feasible for the applicant business to pay the amount requested for an existing restaurant liquor or eating place retail dispenser license. The applicant shall provide evidence of the following factors:

(i) The applicant’s capital and financial resources.

(ii) The applicant’s projected revenue and expenses for its business, as well as actual revenue and expenses if the business is currently in operation.

(iii) Other factors the applicant considered when deciding that obtaining a liquor license in the marketplace was not economically feasible.

(4) A written estimation, with supporting documentation, of the expected economic benefits to the municipality if the application is granted.

(f) If the applicant, or any of the applicant’s stockholders, directors, officers or members, owns, in whole or in part, a restaurant liquor or eating place retail dispenser license which is in safekeeping with the Board, the Board will refuse the application. This only applies if the license in safekeeping is in the same county as the license applied for.

(g) Upon approval of an application, the applicant will receive a provisional license for 120 days, exclusive of periods of safekeeping.

(h) In the event of an appeal from the Board’s decision regarding the issuance or renewal of an economic development license, the appeal will act as a supersedeas and will preclude the processing of additional applications for vacancies in that county.

The provisions of this § 3.105 amended September 18, 2015, effective September 19, 2015, 45 Pa.B. 5681. Immediately preceding text appears at serial page (376812).

Notation

Authority

The provisions of this § 3.105 amended under section 207(i) of the Liquor Code (47 P. S. § 2-207(i)).