SHAPLEIGH – The owner of a local restaurant is trying for the third time to persuade voters to overturn this York County town’s ban on drinking alcohol in restaurants.

Shapleigh is one of more than 100 “dry” towns in Maine that prohibit on-site consumption of beer, wine and liquor. Stores can sell alcohol, but not for consumption on the premises.

The leader of the June 11 referendum effort is Patrick Hannon, owner of Kelsey Lynn’s restaurant on Route 11, who wants to be able to serve beer and wine with meals.

Opponents say the change would set the stage for bars to operate in Shapleigh, eroding the family-friendly character of the mostly lakefront community.

“This is being promoted as just drinking in restaurants with your meal,” said Ruth Ham, a member of the Board of Selectmen. “That’s not what the vote actually does.”

Hannon, who splits his time between Massachusetts and Maine, could not be reached for comment. His lawyer, Chris Chandler, says Hannon’s desire to serve alcohol is tied to his hopes of eventually making the seasonal restaurant a year-round eatery.

Hannon has hired a public relations firm to promote his cause and is paying people $100 a week to put signs in their yards urging residents to approve the change, his lawyer says. The signs say: “Just because there’s a drought doesn’t mean Shapleigh has to be dry.”

Kevin Romano, a volunteer firefighter, says local firefighters are opposed to the proposal. He says they believe alcohol consumption at a restaurant, or bar, would lead to an increase in the number of emergency calls, which the town is not equipped to handle.

Romano says that if the town votes in favor of the referendum, it will need to hire full-time emergency and fire personnel to compensate for an increase in call volume.

“All the firefighters are volunteers,” he said. “It really depends on the time of day whether or not a lot of people are here.”

The issue has touched a nerve in the town, to the point where several residents refused to discuss the referendum with a reporter. Some cited business pressure from Hannon.

Chandler says Hannon hasn’t pressured or threatened people. He says he thinks the town is just reluctant to change.

“The town has given [Hannon] a difficult time since he got there,” Chandler said. “Hannon has done a lot of development in Shapleigh … I think that there’s some amount of bitterness there.”

On that point, residents agree.

“Small-town mentality is strange, you know,” said Charlie Fowler, a local resident. “They don’t trust outsiders.”