Halton Hills Council has approved a two-year zoning bylaw amendment that will allow a local brewery to serve food and drinks.
The temporary change for Furnace Room Brewery (FRB) was endorsed by councillors during their recent meeting, where they also heard from neighbourhood residents who raised concerns about the brewery's licensing, permitted uses, operating hours, its patrons' behaviour and more.
“Our immediate community supports a business that integrates into the community,” said resident Cheryl Sim, who lives near the brewery and spoke on behalf of several neighbours. “However, the necessity of a pub is questionable for the immediate community.”
FRB owner Mike Dykstra said that the brewery is not looking to operate on bar hours.
"We want a chance to show the neighbourhood that we're not here to be a bar," he told council. "We're here to be a destination - a craft brewery that complements its offering of beer with select menu items."
The Furnace Room, located at 1 Eglin St. near the Georgetown GO station, is a microbrewery that sells a wide selection of its own brand of canned beer. The establishment also features a seating area in the upper floor as well as a retail space in the lower level.
Many homes are in close proximity to the brewery, with some of the neighbours complaining about noise. A staff report to council noted that much of the noise seems to have been associated with the patio that FRB operated during the pandemic. It has since been closed down and is not permitted to reopen under the temporary zoning bylaw.
FRB also appears to have been operating outside of the stipulations of its license - something Dykstra readily admitted to in his delegation at council.
“In March of this year when the AGCO (Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario) came around, it was news to all of us,” Dykstra began. “When we first opened, one of our founding partners took care of all of the licensing applications and getting our stuff up and running. He had, unknowingly to him, not applied for the correct license.”
He said that he had applied for a manufacturer’s license, which does not permit them to sell alcohol, but they are able to offer samples.
“The rest of the ownership was under the assumption that we had the by-the-glass license the entire time,” Dykstra said.
He and his team voluntarily closed the upstairs portion while their application for such a license is being reviewed.
Halton Hills Manager of Enforcement Services Susie Spry said that her office has received complaints regarding the establishment. The Town performed a site inspection and “determined that they were operating outside of what was permitted.”
She said the Town, as well as other concerned government parties, discussed what was permitted with FRB so that they can begin the process of obtaining proper permissions for their operation.
As per the temporary zoning amendment, food and drink consumption has to be done inside the brewery building. While the plan is to have a food truck on site to prepare menu items, the food will be served indoors to eliminate customers being noisy outside.
