V&V was approved locally for an all-alcohol license by the License Commission. Pending approval by the state, it may end discord amongst the city's alcohol purveyors.

NORTH ADAMS, Mass. — The License Commission on Tuesday approved a retail liquor license transfer to V&V, also known as Steeple City Spirits.

Pending state approval, the transfer of the all-alcohol license from River Street Package Store brings to a close a contentious chapter in the city's business community.

V&V's manager, Louis Matney Jr., and owner Neil Ellis (who also owns the plaza where the beer and wine shop is located) had sought a home-rule petition allowing the city another all-alcohol package store license.

Proprietors of the city's existing liquor stores loudly objected to what they perceived as an end run around the law.

State law sets the number of licenses to one for every 5,000 in population. With four, North Adams was already over the limit.

The Public Safety Committee in August recommended 2-1 the City Council submit a home-petition to the Legislature on V&V's behalf. The council delayed its decision at the request of V&V, though not unanimously.

V&V had hoped for time to come to an agreement with River Street Package, owned by Joseph Lora Jr. Lora had moved his business to the former Lopardo's, which held an all-alcohol license, after selling his building on the corner of Houghton Street.

In conjunction with that transfer, the board also approved a new beer and wine license for the package store.

"Historically, he has had a beer and wine license," attorney Stephen Pagnotta, representing Lora, said. "His skill sets are better suited to beer and wine than selling hard liquor."

River Street had sold very little liquor since taking over the Lopardo license, he said.

Pagnotta said he hoped the Massachusetts Alcoholic Beverages Control Commission would consider the two licenses together.

"Both are going in together so they'll be handled by the same investigator," said Commissioner Rosemari Dickinson. "I see it as that."

Chairman Jeffrey Polluci joked "you're an optimist."

But both said the businesses had their paperwork in order and they saw no difficulties. Polluci noted that River Street Package Store had a good track record.

Both stores must continue to operate as they are until the ABCC approves the licenses.

In other business, DeFazio's Italian Bistro & Bar at 139 Ashland St. was approved for an all-alcohol restaurant license for the hours of 11 a.m. to midnight

Owners Anthony Donovan II and Timothy Lanfair said the license was necessary to the success of their business.

"Wine and Italian are sort of a marriage together," Lanfair said.

The partners said they had operated TaBella's on Main Street with an option to buy until a falling out with the owner.

Polluci asked if they could transfer the license from TaBellas but Lanfair said they were only employees and the license belonged to Fahri Karakaya.

"We have our own LLC. We started from the ground up," Lanfair said. "We did try to work things out on Main Street because we liked the location but it just didn't work."

Since then, he said they have put $5,000 into the kitchen and done other upgrades at the former Red Sauce Ristorante. The building is owned by Scott Avery.

Donovan said he had completed TIPs, or Training for Intervention Procedures, required for alcohol servers and had bartended for seven years at the '6 House Pub in Williamstown.

Lanfair said third name on the license would be the manager, who had a decade of experience tending bar at Key West.

The license approval will also be submitted to the ABCC for state approval.

Commissioners also approved the 10 a.m. openings on Sunday for Ed's Variety and Whitney's Beverages.

State law was recently changed to allow early Sunday openings with the approval of the local license commission

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