Councillor floats plan for Burnaby brewery district

LaurenVanderdeen lvanderdeen@burnabynow com

Burnaby doesn’t have a brewery row like its neigh- parcliving.ca/mulberry bours Port Moody and NorthVancouver – and that’s a problem, according to one city councillor.

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To fix it, Coun Daniel Tetrault wants to make it easier for brewers to set up shop in town

He put the gears in motion on June 5 at a council meeting, directing staff to review ways to encourage craft and artisanal small businesses to come to Burnaby

Tetrault said brewery districts build complete communities by bringing people together to socialize

“While doing that, it attracts restaurants, bakeries and other small businesses not to mention, it creates an art scene, contributes to the vibrancy of our communities,” he said

Tetrault noted Burnaby’s three breweries are often over-capacity, showing demand exists.

He said current city bylaws “may be outdated ”

“I know too many people, particularly young people, when they’re going out to socialize … whether on the patio or another outdoor space, they’re leaving Burnaby,”Tetrault said and added, “We want them to come together in our neighbourhoods and stay in Burnaby”

He noted the motion isn’t just for breweries it includes any craft artisanal manufacturers like cideries, wine bars or distilleries

The City of Burnaby is already considering “creative employment uses” in the upcoming Edmonds and Royal Oak community plans, which would create space for places like art studios, galleries and small-batch manufacturers

Ed Kozak, the city’s general manager of planning and development, said brewery rows in neighbouring municipalities, particularly Port Moody’s, developed “somewhat organically” but largely because of the removal of “regulatory obstacles ”

“Burnaby has a lot of regulatory obstacles at the moment,” Kozak told council.

“And it makes it very difficult for small businesses of all kinds, whether it be distilleries, breweries, you know, tea houses, anything of that nature, that are impacted by zoning and largely, zoning ” Coun. Joe Keithley (of punk band D O A fame) suggested staff consider how to incorporate a music or performance aspect in a potential brewery row, similar to Austin,Texas.

Tetrault’s motion passed unanimously, and staff will report back to council on the potential for a brewery district at a later date