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Liquor Board grants license to Hilton Garden Inn in Aberdeen

Following neighbor protest, hotel's parking issue rectified with City of Aberdeen

BY RACHEL KONOPACKI

Posted 2/02/10

The Hilton Garden Inn in Aberdeen was granted a liquor license, after the Harford County Liquor Control Board addressed two letters of protest and the use of the banquet room in the hotel last Wednesday.

Licensees Nitin Patel and Lydia Hoory were granted a beer, wine and liquor license for onsite consumption only for the Hilton Garden Inn and its restaurant.

Patel operates three hotels in Harford County; however, this is his first liquor license request.

One concerned resident sent two letters of protest via e-mail to the liquor board regarding the license request.

In her letters, Karen Heavey, of the 600 block of West Bel Air Avenue, said she was opposed to the liquor license because of the close proximity of the hotel to other residential properties and a lack of adequate parking for the restaurant.

The Hilton Garden Inn, which has 96 rooms designed mainly for business clientele, opened in August.

Since the letters of protest, the parking issue at the hotel was rectified with the City of Aberdeen.

The liquor board also wanted to make sure the licensees were aware of the dangers of opening up the banquet or meeting room to a promoter.

Patel said he would like to open the banquet room up for birthday parties, weddings and other events, even though the room setup is better designed for business meetings.

Administrator Kathryn Thess said the liquor board has had issues where the people under contract for a particular venue do not use it for its requested purpose.

"That is where we are finding our problems coming in," Donald Hess, chairman of the liquor board, said.

He said the request may be for a birthday party, but the event turns out to be for something completely different that is usually on a larger scale.

"We are not looking for that type of business," Patel said, adding that he doesn't plan to have any events past 11 p.m.

Hess said the licensees will have to be aware of who it is leasing the meeting or banquet room out to.

"If something doesn't smell right, you better cut it off right from the beginning," Hess said. "You have just got to be aware."