The City of North Vancouver council is supporting a local brewery’s application to extend hours of operation. At the October 23 meeting, the council voted unanimously to support House of Funk Brewing’s application to the BC Liquor Board to extend hours of operation.
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Located in the 300 block of East Esplanade, House of Funk Brewing is allowed to open until 11 pm. An approval by Liquor and Cannabis Regulation Board (LCRB) would extend the hours to 12 am, from Sunday to Thursday and 2 am on Friday and Saturday.
CNV of North Vancouver supported the application on the basis that the impact on nearby residents won’t be sufficient to warrant further public input and the noise will be minimal and managed diligently. The city will also opt out of public consultation process concerning this application but will enter into a Good Neighbour application with the applicant, if the liquor board grants the approval.
Speaking to the council, Darren Hollett, the co-founder of the brewery, said customers end up leaving for Vancouver once the brewery closes at 11 pm. “The extension will allow us to increase our ability to provide hospitality for the Lonsdale area and North Vancouver in general. We have had a lot of interest from our customers and those in the area and we would love to provide extended hours and keep people on the North Shore,” he said.
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On noise concerns, he said the brewery will post signage in the washrooms and in the establishment asking people to leave quietly. “We would love it to be successful and have the ability to keep people on the north shore and continue to grow our hospitality community,” he told council.
House of Funk is one among the eight breweries, one distillery, one winery, and one cidery located in the area that has formed a local industry association—The Shipyards Brewery District. In a council report, staff notes that the bylaw has received noise complaints in the brewery district, especially when patrons are leaving the area and waiting for their ride home. Specifically, complaints were received from residents of 95 St. Andrews Avenue related to noise from the patrons of 266 east First Street.
In May last year, the applicant was issued a ticket for playing outdoor music beyond 11 p.m. during a party. Since then, however, the brewery has not been the subject of specific disturbances or complaints. Staff considers the proposed extension ‘reasonable and consistent with the vision’ for the Shipyards Brewery District as a vibrant community destination. “The extension of hours is also consistent with the goal of maximizing economic opportunity in a light-industrial area on employment-generating lands,” the report notes.
Who is allowed extended hours ?
There are a limited number of alcoholic beverage manufacturers authorized to operate beyond 11 pm in the City of North Vancouver. Windfall Cider and Co., located at 250 east Esplanade, has approved closing hours of 12 am Thursday to Sunday, though in practice, the cidery closes its operation by 11 pm throughout the week, including on the weekends, CNV report says.
Copperpenny Distilling has also approved closing hours of 12 am,, from Sunday to Thursday and 2 am on Friday and Saturday. Gull Bar & Kitchen, located at 175 east First Street, also operates up to 11 pm on Fridays and Saturdays; though it has approval from the LCRB to serve liquor up to 1 am.
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Sailor Hagar’s Brew Pub at 86 Semisch Avenue, is the only other premises serving liquor in the City that closes at 2 am on Fridays and Saturdays. LCRB has also granted approval to Jack Lonsdale’s Pub and the Lonsdale Quay Hotel to serve liquor up to 2 a.m. for selected days in a week.
Meanwhile, Strathcona Brwery is planning to open a new location in North Vancouver, with work on the project expecting to start this Fall.
As for House of Funk’s application, CNV has authority under the Business Licence Bylaw to introduce additional conditions on the Business Licence should any issues arise at a later date. The LCRB also monitors complaints about businesses that hold Provincial Liquor Licences and can take action if needed.
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