City of North Vancouver council deferred rezoning decision on a proposed brewery and lounge in the Esplanade area of the city. The decision was taken by the previous council.
The applicant had asked to rezone the site located on the northwestern corner of the intersection of East Esplanade Avenue and St. Andrews Avenue for the brewery business.
The rezoning would have created a new brewery with a kitchen and a lounge for patrons to enjoy their drinks. The applicant is planning a major renovation to provide space for a new brewery and to refresh existing commercial rental units.
Other upgrades would include a new elevator as well as stairwell and a rooftop deck. The proposal also includes on-site parking for 15 vehicles as well as one loading space, all of which will be accessible via the rear lane. Pedestrian access to businesses will be provided from Esplanade.
But the rezoning application will be heard by the next council. Outgoing Councillor Craig Keating brought forward the motion to defer the rezoning until a broader discussion hasn’t taken place that would include public consultation.
“We defer it until we have a meeting on the location. We got pubs and cannabis and it just seems to me that we need to have a discussion on how this is put out there. We need a public meeting,” he said.
Outgoing councillor Rod Clark said there were similar businesses operating in the vicinity and he would be supportive of the rezoning.
Staff told the council in a report that the city has been approached by multiple brewers who are creating business plans and exploring opportunities for the development of breweries in the City of North Vancouver.
Along with the rezoning application for 266 East Esplanade, city staff is expecting three more applications for rezoning in the coming weeks.
To save time and effort and to be fair to all applicants, staff recommended that council change the zoning bylaw to support brewery and lounge uses area.
Breweries with lounges provide an opportunity to reinvest in the area while retaining production as the primary focus, staff said, adding that the area’s proximity to Lonsdale and Shipyards will help support local business and contribute to the changing character of Lonsdale.
Being close to transit is another reason staff is supportive of the rezoning. The site is located within 500 metres of Lonsdale Avenue, and well served by the City’s transit and is walkable to Shipyards and the Lonsdale Quay, staff noted.
With Clark opposed, council deferred the rezoning application to a later date for public consultation and better council understanding of the issue.
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