By JOSEPH FITZGERALD

BELLINGHAM — The number of liquor licenses in Bellingham will remain at nine after annual town meeting voters Wednesday shot down petition articles seeking two additional liquor licenses.

The town already has four alcohol and five beer and wine licenses and a majority of the 218 voters who crammed the high school auditorium last night sent a message that the town doesn't need any more liquor stores - at least not yet.
Article 12 was petitioned by George Levine of Wellesley, Mass., who wants a license for a package store at the new strip mall on Mechanic Street (Route 140) next to Rapid Fill gas station near Maple Street.Article 13 was petitioned by Bellingham businessman Antoine H. Khoury of Mechanic Street, who requested a liquor license for a package store he wants to open at the Town Pizza shopping center at the corner of Route 126 and Route 140, which he owns and plans to renovate.
In both articles, voters were asked to authorize the Board of Selectmen to petition the state to enact legislation granting the town the additional licenses.
Levine's article was quickly rejected, but the petition article submitted by Khoury, who is well known in town and had some supporters in the crowd, generated about a half-hour of debate. Khoury told voters he is preparing to renovate the shopping plaza with a colonial theme and make it a "gateway" to the town the community can be proud of. Khoury said he wants the liquor store to be the anchor to that new plaza, which will still house the Photo-Rama, dry cleaning business and pizza shop.
In the end, though, residents rejected the article, saying the town has too many package stores as it is.
"I totaly respect Mr. Khoury, but I don't think a liquor store in that area is a good idea," said resident Betty Gauthier. "As a town resident with a family I don't want another liquor store so close to where I live."
"I support progress and local business, but by the same token I don't think liquor stores, power plants and gas stations are progress and we seem to be dotting the landscape with them," said another resident. "It's not right to have three liquor stores within three miles of each other."
Resident and Selectman Jerry Mayhew supported the license for Khoury, saying Khoury's reputation as a businessman and town resident is deserving of the privilege.
Current package store owners in town, however, say the time is not right for two additional liquor licenses. One of those owners, Scott Bender, pointed out that the last liquor license to be granted in Bellingham was given to Dominic's Liquors in 1996 when the town population was 15,000. Since then, the population of the town has increased by only 725 residents. Bender said the Massachusetts Alcoholic Beverage Control Commission has strict guidelines and that it would only consider a new license if the town's population warrants it (about 20,000 population).
When the town moderator moved the question, Article 13 was defeated in a voice vote.
In other town meeting business, voters – with no discussion or debate – passed a $44.6 million town operating budget for fiscal 2009, which represents a 2.81 percent increase over the current spending plan. The total $44,640,334 budget includes a $20,347,486 school budget, up 1.94 percent over last year.
Funding for the budget will include $200,000 from ambulance receipts; $20,559 from Title V receipts; and $44,413,775 from taxation.
Voters also approved a $1.5 trash enterprise budget; a $1.9 million water enterprise budget; and a $714,377 sewer enterprise budget.