MILTON — The City Council on Tuesday will discuss rezoning of property on Caroline Street. If approved, the action would allow a restaurant and a brewery to open within the historic post office building.
While an initial motion to decline the request failed, a motion to approve the rezoning passed with two nays from Council Members Grady Hester and Patsy Lunsford. Councilman Jimmy Messick was absent.
The rezoning issue was brought before the council as a recommendation from the city’s planning board.
Sean McCool, who entered a lease with the property owner to start the business, and his father, Greg, said they knew the council would not be in unison on the issue.
The proposed business did receive support from Mayor Wesley Meiss and Councilman Alan Lowery. Giving McGuire’s Irish Pub in Pensacola as an example of the type of business the restaurant could be, Meiss said McCool’s proposed business could attract people to Milton.
Lowery agreed and said denying the rezoning would go against the council’s initiative of bringing more businesses to the city.
Newly sworn in council member Sharon Holley suggested the council not take action without having full knowledge of McCool’s proposed business. After questioning McCool on licensing, potential brewery odors, and how he intends to operate the brewery, Holley said the business’ potential success could cause concerns.
“There’s the large breweries like Anheuser-Busch and those types of larger corporations which have been known to go and buy small craft breweries out because they do such a good job, and I hope that (McCool does), but I am just saying I don’t want to see a distribution center in the historic district,” Holley said. “The restaurant part and the craft brewery part, I really don’t have an issue with that as long as it is done correctly by the letter of the law.”
City Manager Brian Watkins said the proposed business must meet city standards.
“Anything that they do will have to go through the building code and life safety code process and (they) will have to pass all of that,” Watkins said.
City Planner Randy Jorgenson said city staffers were required to notify property owners located within a 500-foot radius of the location before Monday’s meeting. The rezoning faces opposition from a few property owners, Jorgenson said.
“There are those who would oppose the introduction of production of alcoholic beverages in that part of the community,” Jorgenson said in an interview. Among those surrounding properties are four churches. Jorgenson said city staff did not receive input from the churches on the rezoning matter.
Operating a brewpub, or a restaurant with a microbrewery, has been McCool’s longtime dream. After being unemployed for nearly a year, McCool said he began pursuing the business opportunity.
“I think a brew pub … would help the local economy,” he said. “Not only does it bring jobs, but tourism. People tour breweries all over the world.”
The rezoning issue will be a separate item from the regular consent agenda during the council meeting set 5 p.m. Dec. 13 at Milton City Hall.
This article originally appeared on Santa Rosa Press Gazette: Council mulls rezoning for potential brewpub