Another liquor license has received the blessing of Warren City Council this week, but it was anything but a unanimous decision.

No comment was offered during a public hearing held on the proposal but council did discuss the proposal during the meeting.

City Manager Nancy Freenock said that the city is in receipt of application materials from Country Fair, Inc. to the Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board regarding a transfer of a liquor license from Deerfield Township into the City of Warren.

The license will be coming from the Clearview Inn, which was ravaged by fire on Christmas Day in 2013.

If granted, the license will be going to Country Fair on the Warren’s east side, where alcohol would be sold both for consumption at the store and for purchase to take off the premises.

Freenock told council that the action requested is a resolution either to approve or disapprove the application.

John Wagner, counsel for United Refining, said that a recent change in state law has made these types of licenses available – sale in the convenience store setting – and said that they have “become the norm in our industry.

“We did speak with the church officials at Grace United Methodist,” Wagner added, “(to) make them aware of our intentions and our request. They did not intend to voice an objection.”

Councilman John Lewis raised alarm regarding the number of liquor licenses coming into the city. “How many are we allowed by population,” he asked.

Freenock said that 1 for 3,000 is the ratio in the city.

“We have 16 in the city,” Lewis said. “How is it e are allowed to bring in this many?

Freenock said that transfers can occur between municipalities as long as the municipalities are in the same county.

“My only concern is why do we need another liquor license in town,” Lewis questioned.

“This is going into a retail establishment that would like to have it and it advances their business supposedly,” Mayor Maurice Cashman said.

Lewis voiced concerns about the alcohol content of what is currently for sale at Tops and expressed fear that people will consume on-site and then leave and drive drunk.

Cashman talked about the convenience of being able to pick up beer in a convenience store and said it may present a “better arena” for females to purchase beer as opposed to entering a bar.

The motion to approve a resolution in support of the application passed 4-2 with Lewis and Councilman Richard Kolcharno voting in opposition.