934                                 Laws of Maryland                          [Ch. 614

unless the Board conducts another hearing and further restricts
licenses in the manner provided herein.

(2) The Board is required to conduct a hearing on restricting of

licenses upon the receipt of a petition designating an area to be re-

stricted and signed by at least fifty persons who are property owners
and registered voters of the precinct in which the proposed restricted

area lies.

(B) (1) IN ANNE ARUNDEL COUNTY, THE BOARD OF
LICENSE COMMISSIONERS SHALL BE AUTHORIZED TO RE-
STRICT ANY SPECIFIED AREA WITHIN THE COUNTY TO THE
EXISTING NUMBER OF LICENSES THEREIN OR TO ANY
OTHER NUMBER OF LICENSES IT MAY, IN ITS DISCRETION,
DEEM APPROPRIATE. BEFORE ANY SPECIFIED AREA
SHALL BE RESTRICTED, THE BOARD SHALL CONDUCT A
HEARING ON THE PROPOSED RESTRICTED AREA WHICH
SHALL BE ADVERTISED IN THE MANNER REQUIRED FOR
THE ISSUANCE OF A NEW LICENSE. AFTER TESTIMONY
IS TAKEN FOR AND AGAINST THE RESTRICTION OF LI-
CENSES IN A SPECIFIED AREA, THE BOARD MAY PROHIBIT
THE ISSUANCE OF ADDITIONAL LICENSES, OR FIX THE
NUMBER OF LICENSES TO BE PERMITTED IN SUCH AREA
AND SHALL DETERMINE THE LIMITS OF THAT AREA. THE
BOARD MAY RESTRICT THE NUMBER OF LICENSES OR
PROHIBIT ADDITIONAL LICENSES IN ANY SPECIFIED
AREA, WHEN, IN THE OPINION OF THE BOARD, THE AREA
HAS EITHER; 1. SUFFICIENT LICENSED PREMISES FOR
THE ACCOMMODATION OF THE PUBLIC, OR. 2. BECOME
SATURATED WITH LICENSED PREMISES TO THE EXTENT
THAT SPECIAL POLICING IS REQUIRED AND TRAFFIC
HAZARDS ARE CREATED THEREIN, OR 3. CHANGED CHAR-
ACTER SO THAT THE EXISTING NUMBER OF LICENSED
PREMISES IS INCONSISTENT WITH PRESENT USAGE OF
THE AREA AND AN INCREASE IN THE LICENSED PREM-
ISES LOCATED WITHIN THE AREA WILL UNDULY DISTURB
THE PEACE OF THE RESIDENTS THEREIN. A SPECIFIED
AREA MAY BE RESTRICTED BY THE BOARD, IN ITS DIS-
CRETION, FOR ANY PERIOD OF MORE THAN ONE YEAR,
BUT NOT FOR A PERIOD OF MORE THAN FOUR YEARS. AT
THE END OF THE PERIOD FIXED BY THE BOARD, THE RE-
STRICTIONS SHALL TERMINATE AND BE OF NO FURTHER
EFFECT, UNLESS THE BOARD CONDUCTS ANOTHER HEAR-
ING AND FURTHER RESTRICTS THE NUMBER OF LICENSES
IN THE MANNER PROVIDED HEREIN.

(2) THE BOARD SHALL BE REQUIRED TO CONDUCT A
HEARING ON RESTRICTING THE NUMBER OF LICENSES
OR PROHIBITION OF ADDITIONAL LICENSES IN ANY SPECI-
FIED AREA UPON THE RECEIPT OF A PETITION REQUEST-
ING SUCH RESTRICTION OR PROHIBITION AND DESIGNAT-
ING THE SPECIFIC AREA TO BE RESTRICTED, PROVIDED
THE PETITION IS SIGNED BY AT LEAST TWENTY-FIVE
PERSONS WHO ARE PROPERTY OWNERS AND REGISTERED
VOTERS OF THE PRECINCT IN WHICH THE PROPOSED RE-
STRICTED AREA LIES.