The coast news, june 19, 2015

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THE COAST NEWS

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VOL. 29, N0. 25

What’s the beef between Encinitas and the brewing industry?

JUNE 19, 2015

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The Rochester Institute of Technology is looking into the possibility of opening a satellite school at the empty Farmer’s Insurance building in Carlsbad. The higher education course will allow students to receive their Masters of Science in a few engineering fields Photo by

Ellen Wright

Engineering master’s program likely inRANCHO Carlsbad By Ellen Wright

Encinitas hasn’t had a brewery in the city since 1993. Lots of red tape and the lack of a very large amount of industrial space have led some brewers to say Encinitas is “anti-brewery.” Photo by BigStock

to the brewing industry. Encinitas is the last major city in the county without a brewery — and that is because of the city government. It feels very disingenuous to not have any breweries and then reach out to the brewing community for donations. And I know that breweries have tried to open there and been turned down.” The Coast News spoke to several major stakeholders in the region’s craft brewing industry, all who confirmed that Encinitas’ has an unfavorable reputation within its circles. Many point to at least one instance in which a high-profile brewer attempted to open a “brew pub” in town only to abandon the plans and instead wound up in Oceanside. They also point to the well-documented struggle between downtown’s alcohol serving establishments and residents as a potential reason for the perceived indifference toward breweries. Encinitas officials said they were unaware that the city had such a reputation, but acknowledged that a number of factors make it difficult for a production brewery to be established in the coastal community, including a lack of industrial space and an arduous process to re-

MARIA DAMIAN

BRIAN STRANGE

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ENCINITAS — When a representative from the Encinitas 101 Main Street Association asked Tom Nickel to donate a few barrels of his popular beer for a local beer festival, Nickel said he was taken aback. Why, some might ask? Because it was Encinitas. The craft brewing industry in San Diego County has exploded in recent years, with the number of breweries growing from 37 to nearly 100 in just four years, with annual sales of $847 million and production breweries popping up in almost every major city in the county — except for Encinitas, which last had a production brewery in 1993. “It is a commonly talked-about thing in the brewing industry that Encinitas doesn’t have a brewery,” said Nickel, a San Diego brewer who runs several popular establishments, including O’Brien’s Pub, Nickel Brewing Company and West Coast Barbecue and Brew. “The stigma is that it is anti brewery and an anti- craft-beer industry.” Nickel declined the request in the following email: “While I appreciate the invite, I can’t in good faith do anything to support Encinitas when the city is so hostile

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By Aaron Burgin

zone other areas to accommodate such activity. “What I can say is that this is news that I have never heard that we are ‘anti-brewery,’” Encinitas Planning Director Jeff Murphy said. “I was surprised to hear the word “hostile” to describe our stance against breweries. It is not that we prohibit them, we limit them to certain areas of town.” Space Matters As Murphy alluded to, unlike many of its North County counterparts, Encinitas does not have a very large amount of industrial space, where many breweries throughout the county are located because of the nature of production and delivery. Encinitas’ industrially zoned properties are generally along either side of Westlake Street, a quarter-mile strip between Encinitas Boulevard and Requeza Street. In contrast, Carlsbad and Vista have large business parks where breweries have popped up with high frequency. Oceanside’s Coast Highway has become a popular location for breweries. EsconTURN TO BREWING ON A18

CARLSBAD — The city has had plans to bring a higher education institution to the empty Farmer’s Insurance building on Faraday Avenue for about two years. On Tuesday, councilmembers approved entering into an exclusive agreement with the Rochester Institute of Technology, which is based in New York and is looking into opening a satellite school in Carlsbad. RIT has three satellite schools throughout the world. RIT Provost Jeremy Haefner is meeting with business and educational leaders in the region to find out if the city is a good fit for a master’s program and if there is enough demand. U 3 Advisors Consultant Steven Jacobs told the council RIT is a good fit because of its highly recognized programs in fields that are vital to the Carlsbad economy, like

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computer engineering and aerospace. If RIT staff decides Carlsbad is a good fit, three master’s programs will be offered, a Master’s of Science in Computer Engineering, Electrical Engineering and Sustainable Engineering. More programs would be added based on the success of the program and the market need. Haefner said after meeting with local businesses, he’s already seen a need for a degree in cyber security. “We have a very strong program at the federal center in cyber security that would be very attractive,” Haefner said. Local businesses that provided input include ThermoFisher Scientific, ViaSat, Interknowlogy, Jethead Development and Palomar Technology. The Master’s program would likely serve between 120 to 180 students

Trust Your Beachfront Investment To A Beachfront Owner Call Maria at (760) 487-8654 or

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