Relates to a license to sell liquor at retail for consumption on certain premises

2025 Regular Session Introduced by Peter Oberacker

Authorizes a single, narrowly defined on-premises liquor license for a specific Catskill parcel near a place of worship, carving out a unique proximity exception.

RETURNED TO SENATE

Overview

Senate Bill S.10528 (2025-2026 Session, New York) proposes a narrowly tailored change to the Alcoholic Beverage Control Law to authorize a retail alcohol license for on-premises consumption under very specific geographic constraints. The bill targets a single, geographically defined premises in Greene County and would allow on-site liquor sales for consumption on the licensed premises, despite proximity to a building occupied exclusively as a school, church, synagogue, or other place of worship.

Main purpose and intent

To authorize a retail license for on-premises consumption of liquor at a specified premises within Greene County, New York.

The premises to be licensed is located within 200 feet of a building occupied exclusively as a school, church, synagogue, or other place of worship, and lies wholly within the Village of Catskill, Greene County.

The restriction creates a very narrow carve-out from typical proximity limitations around places of worship, permitting liquor service on-site at the described site.

Key provisions and changes

Amends Subdivision 7 of section 64-a of the Alcoholic Beverage Control Law by adding new paragraph (c-7).

New authority: The NYS Liquor Authority may issue a retail license for on-premises consumption for a specific premises, notwithstanding existing proximity restrictions, if the premises meet all the described conditions.

Geographic specificity: The license applies only to the particular parcel described in the bill, with explicit metes-and-bounds description and a known deed reference in Greene County (Village of Catskill).

The described parcel is identified by a detailed land description and deed history (from Samuel D. Aldi and Dominic Joseph Cornelius, recorded in Greene County Clerk’s office).

Who or what would be affected

The direct beneficiary is the owner/operational entity associated with the described premises in the Village of Catskill, Greene County.

The broader impact is limited to the on-premises consumption licensing framework, with a narrowly scoped geographic and institutional proximity exception.

No statewide expansion of on-premises liquor licenses; it creates a one-site exception rather than a general policy shift.

Procedural and timeline aspects

Introduction: May 18, 2026.

Referral: Referred to the Committee on Commerce, Economic Development and Small Business.

The act states it shall take effect immediately upon enactment.

As a local-geo-specific bill, it would require passage by both legislative chambers and signature by the Governor to become law.

Potential considerations and implications

Enabling on-premises liquor sales near places of worship could raise concerns about nuisance, safety, or community character; proponents may view it as a limited economic opportunity for a specific site.

The narrow, one-site nature minimizes broader policy impact but triggers attention to how proximity rules are exceptions and how often such targeted licenses might be used in practice.

Given the immediate effect provision, if enacted, the license could be issued promptly, subject to the Liquor Authority’s ordinary licensing processes.