Investigator's report on liquor license applications

(a) On every application referred to the investigator under section 281-55, the investigator shall report in writing to the liquor commission and, if the application is for a license of any class other than class 8, class 9, or class 10, the report shall include: (1) A description of the premises intended to become the licensed premises, and the equipment and surrounding conditions, including the relationship to surrounding residences that may share a common boundary or a common structure with the premises proposed for licensing; (2) If the application is made by a person who has held a prior license for the same or any other premises within two years past, a statement as to the manner in which the premises have been operated and the business conducted under the previous license; (3) The locality of any church, chapel, or school, if any, within a distance of five hundred feet from the nearest point of the premises for which the license is proposed to the nearest point of the church, chapel, or school grounds; (4) The number, position, and distance from the premises, in respect of which a license is applied for, of any other licensed premises of the same class in the neighborhood; (5) The number of licenses of the same class or kind already issued and being lawfully exercised within the county; (6) Whether or not the applicant is for any reason disqualified by this chapter from obtaining or exercising a license; and whether or not the applicant has complied with all the requirements of this chapter relative to the making and filing of the applicant's application; (7) For the next application by the same applicant for a license in the same physical location that was previously denied, refused, or withdrawn, evidence, to be provided by the applicant, of a substantial change in the circumstances that caused the previous denial, refusal, or withdrawal; and (8) The possible adverse effects the premises, after licensing, may have on the surrounding community if the license application is for premises within a county having a population of five hundred thousand residents or more. (b) A copy of the report shall be furnished to the applicant not less than forty-eight hours before any hearing is had upon the application. Upon written request, a copy of the report shall be furnished to any requester. (c) The applicant and any protester may challenge findings contained in the investigator's report before or at any hearing on the application. [L Sp 1933, c 40, §31; RL 1935, §2600; am L 1937, c 211, §15; am L 1939, c 205, pt of §1; am L Sp 1941, c 89, §1(c); RL 1945, §7252; am L 1945, c 217, §1; RL 1955, §159-55; HRS §281-56; am L 1971, c 113, §1; am L 1975, c 55, §4; gen ch 1985; am L 1990, c 171, §17; am L 2001, c 257, §5; am L 2002, c 120, §3; am L 2008, c 168, §12; am L 2022, c 76, §7]