Opposition is Mounting Against Beer Lounge Recommendations - Public Hearing Tuesday, July 9

Ever since NPA Councillor George Affleck set in motion the chain of events that has Vancouver on the verge of allowing on-site lounges in breweries, distilleries and wineries, there has been overwhelming support for the idea.

Tuesday night the final step in the process takes place with a Public Hearing, held at 6 PM in the City Council Chamber, where submitted letters and emails will be reviewed and those who feel the need to voice their thoughts directly to City Council will have their opportunity to speak.

Despite the support, their are a few who do not like the proposed changes to Vancouver's by-laws and the restrictions being placed on the lounges outlined in a report received by Vancouver City Council from the Vancouver City General Manager of Planning and Development Services.

Campaign for Culture (CFC), who describe themselves as, "an association dedicated to the enhancement of the social and cultural fabric of British Columbia," believe the proposed changes don't go far enough and have started an email campaign in an attempt to get Mayor Gregor and his crew to lift some of the restrictions recommended for on-site lounges, specifically the size limit of 860 square feet, the 11 PM closing time and the limit of having only ability to host only 2 special events per month. CFC organizers believe that lounges should have the ability to be much larger, open later and host more events if they so desire, more in line with Provincial regulations.

At the time I am writing this post (Sunday, July 7) there are 13 items of correspondence related to this issue that have been sent for the Public Hearing and 12 of those are in the "oppose" column, all identically worded letters that have been generated by the CFC email campaign (read here). Despite the fact the CFC are not against the lounges existing, but instead are opposed to the restrictions being imposed on the lounge and special event areas, the letters are being considered by Vancouver City Council as opposition. Having spoken to the CFC folks, I have been told many more letters supporting their campaign are going to be sent to Vancouver City Council.

The problem with CFC trying to bring about these changes in this way is that by showing strong opposition to the recommended changes, especially when only one letter of support (read here) has been received, the whole process could grind to a halt and be rejected, meaning the status quo would remain and no on-site consumption lounges within Vancouver City limits even though Vancouver City Council passed Affleck's original motion and accepted the recommendations made by the General Manager of Planning and Development Services.

And although they have not made any official opposition known via the Public Hearing website, the Alliance of Beverage Licensees of British Columbia are not too keen on these lounges existing and could still mobilize their opposition. If ABLE gets rolling, it could be the death of the proposed changes as they are very well connected politically and have a lot of sway in the province when it comes issues related to alcohol.

Personally, I am okay with the regulations being proposed. I see these lounges as being small, intimate places, family friendly, where you go for to taste a few of your favourite brews right at the point of production, not places to go out with large groups of friends to get swacked on a Friday night until the wee hours.

I know the local craft beer industry is okay with moving forward as is in regards to the recommendations as they were part of the consultation process and were well aware of what was happening. For the first time in a long while those from the Vancouver craft brewing industry organized and worked together to help get Vancouver City Council to this point by making the Vancouver craft beer industry wants and needs known in regards to on-site consumption lounges. All brewery owners in Vancouver I have talked to do not want to have a lounge open until 2 or 4 AM at their brewery and would not staff one and stay open until those late hours even if they were allowed.

I am very disappointed that there has only been one letter of support and that did not come from any of the brewery owners who would benefit from these changes. I am also embarrassed to say that until I found out that there was no official support being shown for the changes save the one letter, I had not written in despite the fact it was my yelling and screaming about the issue that got the attention of George Affleck which resulted in a meeting between us and the motion that set all of this in motion.

I have rectified this and written my letter and if you love craft beer in Vancouver and want to support your local breweries and have the opportunity to enjoy some of their great beers in lounges at the breweries, I recommend you do as well. It takes 30 seconds to write an email of support that could result in permanent and positive changes to our local liquor policies. This type of thing is specifically what groups like the Campaign for Real Ale (CAMRA) are designed for and members should get active and support the cause. Getting these recommendations through the Public Hearing and changes made is a win-win-win situation for Vancouver, the local craft beer industry and craft beer consumers.

Email mayorandcouncil@vancouver.ca and let's get this thing done! Remember the hearing is Tuesday at 6 PM so emails should be sent before 4 PM on Tuesday.

Vancouver Craft Beer Lovers Hold Fate of Beer Lounges in Their Own Hands

Vancouver-area craft beer lovers literally hold the fate of brewery lounges in their own hands and have the rare opportunity to be consulted directly in regards to liquor law changes as yesterday Vancouver City Council officially passed a report from the Vancouver City General Manager of Planning and Development Services recommending that changes be made to City zoning and licensing by-laws to allow for the sale and consumption of beer in lounges located within breweries.

That matter will now be referred to a public hearing, the final step in the approval process, which should be scheduled in a "few weeks", according to NPA City Clr George Affleck, whose motion (see here) started things moving forward. The public hearing is where those in the private and public sectors of the community get to come out and have their say on the matter directly to City Council so it is not just a rubber stamp type step in the process. If major opposition to beer lounges show up and successfully plead their case and those in favour are silent, or less prominent, the whole process could grind to a halt.

"Until the public have had a chance to speak to it, I would not want to speculate on what will happen. But thus far, we have seen very little opposition to this and a ton of support," stated Clr Affleck last week after seeing the report which recommends breweries, distilleries and wineries be allowed to have licensed, on-site lounges, no bigger than 80 m2. To give you an idea of the size, if you have visited Parallel 49's tasting room, it is well within this size limit.

Currently in Vancouver on-site (meaning at the brewery) patron consumption opportunities are limited to tasting rooms where breweries can charge for samples but are limited to selling 375ml per patron per day, otherwise samples can be offered to the public at no charge. Because of the fact that breweries cannot charge for their products in tasting rooms, few have bothered to build and staff them. 

This single change to Vancouver by-laws could change the face of the local beer scene in Vancouver completely and according to the report, gives breweries, "a more lucrative means of showcasing their product." It will help support small, local breweries and encourage new growth in the industry. 

You need to look no further in BC than to the wine industry who have been allowed this type of lounge for years. Areas like the Naramata Bench have taken full advantage of the lounge opportunity to draw tourists and locals alike to tour from winery lounge to winery lounge to try different wines from the source and purchase products. It is a far more intimate consumer experience and connects the consumer directly to the point of production. 

This type of lounge has has also helped make places like Portland Oregon and Seattle, Washington beer tourist meccas and they bring BIG dollars into the cities as beer lovers visit the breweries located within city limits to enjoy themselves.  Food and entertainment will be allowed as well and if Vancouver sticks to the intentions of the Provincial Government when they made changes to the laws March 1/13, minors accompanied by responsible adults will also be allowed, making these lounges family friendly.

This is the time for groups like CAMRA Vancouver to shine and make a difference by getting their members to come out to the meeting to ensure the pro side of the argument gets heard loud and clear. CAMRA Vancouver President Adam Chatburn has already been very involved in getting things to this point, having spoken to City Councillor Heather Deal a few months back in a private meeting and having spoken at the council meeting where the motion was presented. 

"CAMRA BC - Vancouver Chapter will be there all the way to represent the craft beer consumers of the city and we look forward to the public meeting where we will show just how important these positive changes are to the future of the city and the province," stated Chatburn last week.

Let's hope craft beer consumers and industry types are as committed as Chatburn to come out the the public hearing so we can get this passed and written into law as I would like nothing better than to sit in a local beer lounge by the end of summer to enjoy a fresh, locally brewed beer straight from the source.

I would hate to see the process get this far only to be scuttled by consumer apathy for getting involved in the political process.

Vancouver Beer Lounges One Step Closer to a Reality But Still Requires Public Support

Vancouver craft breweries are one step closer to being able to offer their thirsty and adoring customers the opportunity to purchase and consume fresh beers from the source in on-site (at the brewery) lounges.

In a report (read report here) received by Vancouver City Council from Vancouver City General Manager of Planning and Development Services, recommendations have been made to allow for amendments to the Vancouver zoning and development by-laws to permit licensed on-site lounges at breweries.

The report was generated as a result of a motion, tabled by NPA Councillor George Affleck, requesting city staff to look into what changes needed to be made to Vancouver by-laws to allow for licensed, on-site lounges in industrial zones. The motion was passed unanimously April 23rd by Vancouver City Council and the report was presented to Mayor Robertson and City Council last week.

In short, breweries located within Vancouver's city limits may be able to apply to have beer lounges by the end of summer, giving the Vancouver craft beer scene yet another boost and allow it to showcase fresh, local beers similar to how it is done in places like Portland, Oregon where beer tourism is BIG business for the city. 

March 1/13 BC liquor laws changed to allow breweries and distilleries to apply for endorsements to their existing manufacturer's licenses to allow them to have on-site lounges where they could sell their products directly to consumers to be consumed in the lounge, bringing them in line with wineries who have had that opportunity for years. Despite the ability under provincial laws, Vancouver City by-laws and regulations did not allow for the type of liquor liquor license required for lounges to exist in industrial areas that allow breweries, distilleries and wineries to operate.

Currently in Vancouver, breweries can have tasting lounges where they are permitted to sell only one 12-oz beer per person, per day but are permitted to give out multiple free samples. They cannot have entertainment or even televisions! They can sell beer to be consumed off the premises, such as growlers and packaged products.

I posted about the conflict here, a story that was picked up by mainstream media, and had attempted to get some response from Vancouver City Mayor Gregor Robertson and his City Council as to whether they had plans to make changes to support the desire by several local breweries to take advantage of the opportunity to apply to have lounges. After being repeatedly ignored by the mayor and his crew, I posted an open letter (read here), to Mayor Gregor and his council scolding them for their lack of accountability to the voters of Vancouver and as a result Clr Affleck, who described the open letter as "nasty", contacted me to take a meeting with him to discuss the beer lounge issue. After listening to what I had to say, Affleck saw how having such lounges in Vancouver would support the local craft beer industry and promote the city through tourism similar to what is seen in cities like Portland and Seattle.

Mayor Gregor and his Vision Vancouver gang quickly jumped on the band wagon and threw their support behind Affleck's motion, stating they had been working behind the scenes on resolving the issues before Affleck's motion was tabled. I am not saying they were not doing so, as I really have no idea, but I can say that they were given ample opportunity to let those interested in the issue know and remained silent. I am fairly confident that if Affleck had not pushed the issue with his motion that the wheels of City bureaucracy would have turned very slowly and we would not be at this advanced stage in the process so quickly.

"I am so pleased to see staff reporting back so quickly," stated Affleck. "The industry is on the verge of exploding in Vancouver. Changes like these, which help brewers and distillers succeed, is another step for Vancouver soon becoming an international destination for people passionate about beer and spirits."

The report will go before City Council this week I am told and if accepted, it will be referred to a public hearing where anyone who wants to speak about the proposed changes can have their say in front of City Council. Unless there is major opposition that sways City Council to rethink their position, the recommended changes will then be written into Vancouver City by-laws and will become law. All reports I am hearing is that the whole process should be completed by the end of July.

"I am hopeful that Council will pass this unanimously (Tuesday), thus sending it to public hearing process," says Affleck. "Until the public have had a chance to speak to it, I would not want to speculate on what will happen. But thus far, we have seen very little opposition to this and a ton of support."

If the recommended changes to Vancouver by-laws are made, breweries, distilleries and wineries located in areas zoned M-1, M-2, I-1, I-2, I-3, IC-1, IC-2 and IC-3 would be allowed to apply for endorsements to have on-site lounges to a maximum size of 80 m2. Currently it is virtually impossible to run a lounge in these types of industrial zones (read here). 

Special event area endorsements will also be allowed and breweries will be allowed to hold up to 2 special events, i.e. arts and cultural events, a month. 

Although the majority of work has been done by city staff, the public hearing is still a roadblock. City Council will need to see supporters of the changes out at the hearing and hear them speaking as to why they should be allowed. I know the local breweries are banding together and CAMRA Vancouver is fully behind the proposed by-law amendments. In fact CAMRA Vancouver President Adam Chatburn spoke at the original council meeting where Affleck's motion was passed.

"I'm pleased that the city council has moved forward on the issue of allowing beer lounges at breweries, there's still a long way to go but each step brings us closer to being a city that prides itself on our craft beer culture," stated Chatburn. "CAMRA BC - Vancouver Chapter will be there all the way to represent the craft beer consumers of the city and we look forward to the public meeting where we will show just how important these positive changes are to the future of the city and the province."

So CAMRA members stay up-to-date on this issue as I am sure President Chatburn will put out a call for supporters to attend the public hearing. You can be sure there will be opposition and possibly from very influential and organized camps such as the BC Alliance of Beverage Licensees (ABLE), the industry association who represents BC liquor primary establishments, who have been making noises they are opposed to beer lounges at breweries, fearing competition. I have personally had a few on-line Twitter exchanges with ABLE's Executive Director Ian Baillie who seems very anti-lounge endorsements for breweries. 

So, stay tuned if you want to be able to amble down to your local craft brewery for a mug of your favourite brew. The ball is in our court and craft beer consumers and industry types can ensure these proposed changes get written into law by going to the public hearing to support the cause. 

It just goes to show you, it is possible to fight City Hall and win...