PLYMOUTH BOARD OF SELECTMEN TUESDAY, JANUARY 29, 2019 1820 COURTROOM, 26 COURT STREET, PLYMOUTH, MA – 6:30 PM __________________________________________________________________________________________ 6:30PM - CALL TO ORDER Ken Tavares, Chairman of the Board, called the meeting to order at 6:30 p.m. and asked the Board to call the Executive Session to order. Present: Kenneth A. Tavares, Chairman Anthony F. Provenzano Jr, Vice Chairman John Mahoney Shelagh Joyce Betty Cavacco Melissa Arrighi, Town Manager Marlene McCollem, Assistant Town Manager __________________________________________________________________________________________ 6:30 p.m. EXECUTIVE SESSION The Board of Selectmen will hold an Executive Session pursuant to Massachusetts General Laws, Chapter 30A, Section 21, Paragraph 6; to consider the purchase, exchange, lease or value of real property, if the chair declares that an open meeting may have a detrimental effect on the negotiating position of the governmental body. Plymouth Water Sports __________________________________________________________________________________________ 7:40PM – BACK TO OPEN SESSION Chairman Tavares said they were returning from Executive Session and called the meeting back into Open Session. He then asked everyone to join him in the Pledge of Allegiance. __________________________________________________________________________________________ 7:41PM – NATHAN HALE FOUNDATION Christopher Hart from the Nathan Hale Foundation came up and said they are relocating their office in Manomet to 116 Long Pond Road in Plymouth next to the VA Clinic. He said they are planning to expand their food pantry as well as some of our other services. He then talked about some of the work they do including Three Harts Farm located on Beaver Dam Road. He said they have been there for about five years and it continues to grow. Mr. Hart said they have invested about $400,000 into the property most of which were donated materials and labor. He went on to say they are about halfway done with this project and they will be selling some property in Middleboro soon to invest back into this project. He then talked about some of the features and work done at the farm such as a replica civil war style greenhouse as well as teaching veteran’s hydroponics and traditional farming techniques. He also mentioned that the farm was named after his Grandfather, and his two Great-Uncles. PAGE 1 OF 13 He finished up by saying Three Harts Farm is not a Veteran Service place or a clinic, but rather a place where a veteran can come and be loved when they are broken. Vice Chairman Provenzano congratulated Christopher Hart and wished them luck. __________________________________________________________________________________________ 7:47PM – PUBLIC HEARING – Lux Hookah Lounge Vice Chairman Provenzano read the Public Hearing Notice into the records as follows: In accordance with Chapter 138 of the Massachusetts General Laws, as amended, notice is hereby given that a Public Hearing is being held at the Plymouth Town Hall, 26 Court Street on Tuesday, January 29, 2019 at 7:05pm to consider the application for a New Annual Wine and Malt General on Premise License from Fig & Lux LLC d/b/a Lux Hookah Lunge, 18 Court Street, Bahaa Dalloul, Manager. Description of premises will be as follows: 1200 square foot lounge area with one room with seating areas with couches and tables. Finished basement is for office space and storage. There are two entrances and two exits. Attorney Steve Triffletti came up and said he represents Lux Hookah Lounge. He said they previously presented to the Board and we are here to hopefully do things a little differently. He then went over a handout that was provided to the Board and talked briefly about the proposed food, beer and wine menu. Attorney Triffletti then said that handout also included their current licenses as well as the TIPS Certification of their employees. He then invited people up to speak in support of Lux Hookah Lunge. Rose Kane, Precinct 14, came up and said she is a 1973 graduate of Plymouth/Carver High School. She said she has been a nurse practitioner for the past 40 years and currently works in a private practice in the Pinehills. She said she’s been involved with Lux Hookah Lounge since 2013 and wanted to share some information that would be helpful in making their decision. She said this is not a bar, but rather a social lounge built on an exchange of cultures. She said that all they want to do is simply offer their customers beer and wine along with other non-alcoholic beverages that are currently featured. Ms. Kane said customers gather on couches and enjoy conversations and play games like backgammon, cards, and chess. She then said that Hookah is a non-combustible soft form of tobacco that sits in a flavored molasses and uses radiant heat to produce more of a vapor which comes in various flavors such as apple or mint. She said Hookah lasts about 60 to 90 minutes and can be shared. She added that Lux does not allow any other type of smoking in their establishment. She said in Massachusetts smoking lounges are required to maintain 51% of their total sales be from tobacco, therefor we will not allow people to purchase beer and wine in excessive amounts and added that based on the cost of a hookah that would only allot each person to buy between one and three alcoholic beverages. Lacy Donahue came up saying she was born and raised in Plymouth and currently works at the Lux Hookah Lounge as a server. She said from the moment she stepped inside the lounge Bobby, the owner, made is clear that people that come in are not only customers but they are also guests in our home. She finished by saying we have a great family at Lux and they all support this as well. Monehum came up and said he was a Bridgewater resident and he likes Lux because it provides him a safe place to go and enjoy friends. He said he moved here from Morocco when he was 12 years old and he has made so many friends at Lux. Patricia Gannon came up next and said she moved to Plymouth five years ago. She said the Middle Eastern culture is so welcoming and are like family. She said we are all immigrants and Lux is a great place to get together and talk about our homes and where we came from. PAGE 2 OF 13 Mary Lucas, Manager at KKatie’s, came up and said she supports this license request. She said her daughter goes to the Lux Hookah Lounge and enjoys it very much. She said Bobby sends business to KKatie’s and we send business to him so it’s nice seeing businesses supporting each other like this. Bichon came up saying he works at Beth Israel in Boston and supports this license request. He said it’s a great place to relax after a long day at work. It’s great to have authentic Middle Eastern food and it would be even better to enjoy a glass of wine with it as well. Jeff Hilliard came up and said that the owner of the Lux Hookah Lounge is one of the nicest people I have ever met and he means so much to a lot of people. Mr. Hilliard then said that even though he doesn’t drink, there are other people who would like to have a beer or two while they are there. He also said there are a lot of good conversations and games unlike a typical bar and it’s a great place to meet local people. Mark Pantioso came up and said he was a resident of Middleboro and that he has been going to Lux Hookah Lounge for about 6 years now. He said he’s always had a lot of social anxiety and Lux gave him a second home as well as a place to go where he could relax and feel comfortable while meeting other people. Ashley came up and said she has been going to Lux for a little over a year now. She said it’s a nice place to go after a long day at work and mingle with people and make new friends. She said she does not drink a lot but admits it would be nice to be able to enjoy a drink that would complement her Hookah. She said this could bring in more business so if there is any place that I would like to support, it would be Lux. Sarah came up and said she was a resident of Sandwich and loves the atmosphere that the Lux provides for their customers. She said when you walk in everyone waves, smiles, and even asks you how your day was. She also said it’s a very elegant and respectful environment and definitely isn’t a place you would go to drink a lot and do shots and she said she does not see that changing with the addition of beer and wine. Sarah finished by saying she would love to see the Hookah add this license so they can reach their full potential. Adrian Daus came up and said he has been a friend of Bobby, Lux owner, for many years and said he is a family man. He said Bobby treats everyone that walks through his door the same way he treats his employees and his family and he has the utmost respect for everyone he comes in contact with so I wholeheartedly support this license request. Colleen Clifford came up and said she is a nurse at Massachusetts and a resident of Plymouth. She said Bobby is one of the kindest and truest friends I’ve ever known.