City council has unanimously granted the Nelson Brewing Company a temporary permit that will allow the facility to operate as a neighborhood pub.
The 31-year-old company is one of Nelson’s iconic businesses and according to a letter of intent has devoted much of its time to serving the community through enriching and supporting local events with donations, sponsorships, events and much more.
The purpose of the temporary permit is to enable the company to grow by removing the obstacle of zoning.
“The current M1 zoning is preventing us from obtaining a lounge license, and expanding our business will enable us to compete in the current craft beer market,” owner and CEO Kate Walker says in a letter to council.
Council agreed.
“I actually really support this,” says councillor Janice Morrison. “There is a lot of traffic to buy beer, so this would be a welcome addition to the community.”
Council did not express any concern related to noise in debating the temporary permit.
“Right now they are operating [as a retail brewery] until 7 or 8 in the evening, depending on the season,” says Sebastien Arcand, director of developmental services. “They felt that 9 p.m. was reasonable, and we haven’t heard anything negative from the community.”
Walker bought the brewery in 2016 with her husband when it was strictly a brewery, but with the rise of 250 breweries in BC they feel this would allow them to have a competitive edge.
The temporary license will last for three years, at which point they will have to approach council for an extension.