The Old Brick Store in West Townsend has been closed for the better part of 4 years. They shut down operations during the COVID pandemic in 2000 and have not reopened.
The property was put up for sale briefly a few years ago. There was an open house, and it was taken off the market shortly thereafter. It was not sold at that time.
Maintenance has not been kept up on the property. The formerly paved parking lot has mostly disintegrated into many pockets of hazardous potholes. Trees can be seen popping up in spots. Quite a bit of work may be needed if the store ever reopens.
The owner of “The Brick” applied to the Board of Health for a license to sell tobacco as part of a plan to reopen the business. The application never saw the light of day. He was denied administratively by the Health Administrator, Carla, due to a town cap on the number of Tobacco licenses available for the town.
The Board of Health met on Tuesday, June 25th. The Old Brick Store was not on the agenda, but the owner of the store was in attendance. At the end of the meeting the Chair, Jim LeCuyer, asked the owner how he could help. Carla informed Jim about the application and denial. Jim concurred that if there are no available licenses, there is nothing they could do.
Townsend bylaw Chapter 160 covers Board of Health matters. Section 160-99 defines the process of Tobacco licenses. There is a limit of 10 licenses allowed in Townsend. It appears to be a dwindling authorization. In other words, when a license is retired or surrendered, it is not reissued, and the total available licenses drops. It does not appear that any new licenses are available or will be.
It is unclear whether the Old Brick Store will reopen without a license to sell tobacco products.
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