HomeMy WebLinkAboutITEM IV-A
CITY OF
Memorandum
* WASHINGTON
To: Planning Commission
From: Hillary Taylor, Senior Planner
CC: Kevin Snyder, AICP, Planning and Development Director
Date: April 28, 2011
Re: Proposed Code Amendment to allow "Small Craft Breweries and Distilleries"
Backaround
The question of whether to allow small craft breweries was raised at the Planning and
Community Development Committee (PCDC) at their October 11, 2010 meeting. After a
brief discussion, the Committee asked staff to work on the definitions and come back for
more discussion. Staff revisited this proposal with the PCDC at their March 28, 2011
meeting. The Committee gave staff direction as to which definitions for small craft breweries
and distilleries should be used. The Committee preferred to keep the definitions similar to the
definitions adopted by the State Liquor Control Board. Direction was also provided on which
00"1 definitions for a tasting room should be used. The Committee preferred to intrinsically link the
tasting room element to a manufacturing production element. Based on these definitions, the
PCDC provided staff with direction on which zoning districts should these uses be allowed.
The Committee agreed that small craft breweries and distilleries and tasting rooms should be
allowed in commercial and manufacturing zones and stated that tasting rooms should be
allowed at separate locations from the manufacturing/production facility. The Committee was
specifically asked if these uses should be allowed in the Downtown Urban Center (DUC)
zone, and they agreed that if the use was clearly defined to not be a tavern like setting, that
the uses should be allowed in the DUC zone.
History
The economic model of a small craft brewery is a commercial enterprise creating a beverage
product for sale, similar to a small craft soda pop maker, cider press, or an orange juice
maker. The industry of small craft breweries and distilleries is controlled by the State of
Washington Liquor Control Board. Currently tasting rooms associated with "small craft
breweries and distilleries" are not allowed in any zoning districts in the City of Auburn.
Today, there is what is referred to as a "beer renaissance" which is all about choice, flavor
and the art of brewing. Trail blazers of the period from the '60s through the '80s include craft
or micro breweries such as Anchor Steam, Sierra Nevada, Yakima Brewing & Malting Co.,
and Mendocino Brewing Co. Craft beer sales continue to grow at a rate of 50 percent per
year while mass-produced light lager sales. have gone flat. It is anticipated that the strong
interest in craft brewing will continue.
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AUBURN * MORE THAN YOU IMAGINED
Discussion
Staff proposes to amend the zoning ordinance to allow small craft breweries and
distilleries and tasting rooms in the commercial, manufacturing, and downtown zones in
the City of Auburn. Staff proposes to amend Section 18.04 to include definitions for a
small craft brewery or distillery and a tasting room. Staff proposes to eliminate the
definition of brew pub as the definition will no longer be necessary. Staff proposes to
amend the following zoning districts to allow small craft breweries, distilleries, and tasting
rooms: Section 18.26 C1 Light Commercial, Section 18.28 C2 Central Business District,
Section 18.29 Downtown Urban Center, Section 18.30 C3 Heavy Commercial, Section
18.32 M1 Light Industrial, and Section 18.34 M2 Heavy Industrial.
Proposed Definitions:
A small craft distillery is for distillers producing 60,000 gallons or less of spirits with at
least half of the raw materials used in the production grown in Washington. Allows a
craft distillery to contract distilled spirits for, and sell distilled spirits to, holders of distillery
licenses, manufacturer's licenses and grower's licenses.
A microbrewery or a small craft breweryy license is to manufacture beer in Washington
State. The license allows a microbrewery to sell beer of its own production at retail for
on and off-premises consumption, and to act as a distributor for beer of its own
production.
A "tasting room" means an additional location separate from, or on the same site as, the
production/manufacturing site, that allows customers to taste by the glass samples of
wine, or beer, or other alcoholic beverage and has a State of Washington issued license
to operate a tasting room. A tasting room may include wine, or beer, or other alcoholic
beverage for on premises sampling and for sale at retail for off-premises consumption
wine or beer, or other alcoholic beverage of its own production.
At the May 17, 2011 Planning Commission meeting, staff would like feedback from the
Commission on the proposed amendments. The public hearing before the Commission is
scheduled for June 7, 2011.
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AUBURN* MORE THAN YOU IMAGINED