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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2004 04-29 PCP • PLANNING COMMISSION AGENDA CITY OF BROOKLYN CENTER APRIL 29, 2004 STUDY SESSION 1. Call to Order: 7:30 p.m. 2. Roll Call 3. Approval of Minutes - March 25, 2004 4. Chairperson's Explanation The Planning Commission is an advisory body. One of the Commission's functions is to hold public hearings. In the matters concerned in these hearings, the Commission makes recommendations to the City Council. The City Council makes all final decisions in these matters. 5. Request to amend Zoning Ordinance to allow the operation of a micro brewery. • a. Draft Ordinance Amendment Regarding the Manufacturing of Beer, Wine and Distilled Alcoholic Beverages 6. Other Business 7. Discussion Items 8. Adjournment i MEMORANDUM TO: Planning Commission Members FROM: Ronald A. Warren, Planning Commission Secretary SUBJECT: Request to Amend Zoning Ordinance DATE: April 26, 2004 Attached is a written proposal from Mr. Omar Ansari, Sparky Abrasives, 4811 Dusharme Drive, Brooklyn Center, requesting an amendment to the City's Zoning Ordinance to allow the operation of a microbrewery in their building. The property in question is zoned I -2 (General Industry) and is located at the northwest end of the Dusharme Drive cul de sac, which is an extension of 48 Avenue North. Attached for the Commission's review is an area map showing the I -2 zoning district, highlighting the Ansari property and also an aerial photo of the site. Attached as well are copies of Section 35 -330 and 35 -331 regarding the allowable uses in the I -1 and 1 -2 zoning distrits. Mr. Ansari believes their family owned building would be an excellent location for a microbrewery where they would manufacture and distribute beer to local restaurants. He notes that their business has changed over time from a manufacturing operation that at one time employed 80 people to one that is currently downsizing to the point where they have space available where a microbrewery could be operated. The problem is the Zoning Ordinance does not allow a brewery use in the I -2 zoning district. In fact, the zoning ordinance specifically excludes the manufacturing of malt or malt liquors in both the I -1 and I -2 zones. Nowhere in the city is such a use allowed. The wholesale distribution of beer, wine and distilled alcoholic beverages is allowed in the I -1 and I -2 zones, but not the manufacturing of these items. The reason manufacturing of these beverages is not allowed anywhere in the city is not clear, however, it was noted that when this ordinance was written, almost 40 years ago, microbreweries did not, for the most part, exist. Breweries generally require large areas of land, a large supply of water and sewage system capable of handling their discharges. Odors and smells associated with the industry might also have been considered a negative. These may have been the reasons why such a use was not authorized anywhere in the City of Brooklyn Center. Mr. Ansari, in his written submission, reviews the manufacturing process and brewery issues relating to water usage, sewer capacities and odors. The Public Works Director, Community Development Director and City Manager have been provided with the written • proposal and have been requested to provide their comments. None have been received to this date. It should be noted that any such operation would be required to meet PCA, EPA and other environmental, noise or odor regulations. It appears our utility system could handle such an operation. If a brewery is to be allowed anywhere in the city, the I -2 (General Industry) zoning district, and perhaps the I -1 (Industrial Park) district, would be the appropriate zones. An argument could be made that the City should accommodate such a use somewhere in the city. The Planning Commission should review the written material presented and make a recommendation to the City Council regarding this matter. Because Mr. Ansari has made a formal request to modify the Zoning Ordinance, the City must respond to this request within 60 days. The proposal was received on April 15, 2004, therefore, a disposition should be rendered no later than June 14, 2004 by the City Council. Attached is an Ordinance Amendment that would allow the manufacturing of beer, wine and distilled alcoholic beverages in the I -2 (General Industry) zoning district for the Commission's consideration if the Commission is inclined to make a favorable recommendation. We will be prepared to discuss this matter further at the April 29, 2004 Planning Commission meeting. Draf t CITY OF BROOKLYN CENTER Notice is hereby given that a public hearing will be held on the day of , 2004, at 7:00 p.m. or as soon thereafter as the matter may be heard at the City Hall, 6301 Shingle Creek Parkway, to consider an Ordinance Amending Chapter 35 of the City Ordinances Regarding the Manufacturing of Beer, Wine and Distilled Alcoholic Beverages Auxiliary aids for persons with disabilities are available upon request at least 96 hours in advance. Please contact the City Clerk at 763 -569 -3300 to make arrangements. ORDINANCE NO. AN ORDINANCE AMENDING CHAPTER 35 REGARDING THE MANUFACTURING OF BEER, WINE AND DISTILLED ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGES THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF BROOKLYN CENTER DOES ORDAIN AS FOLLOWS: Section 1. Chapter 35 of the City Ordinances of the City of Brooklyn Center is hereby amended in the following manner: • Section 35 -331. I -2 GENERAL INDUSTRY. 1. Permitted Uses a. The following manufacturing activities: 1. Food and kindred products as illustrated by: Dairy products Bakery products Confectionary and related products Beverages, including wine and distiller) alcohol vvith the Macaroni, spaghetti and noodles Section 2. This ordinance shall become effective after adoption and upon thirty days following its legal publication. Adopted this day of , 2004. • 1 Draf t Mayor ATTEST: City Clerk Date of Publication Effective Date (Strikeouts indicate matter to be deleted, underline indicates new matter.) 2 f[Y j L ',v . �a� _ _ _ - 'n ib•':" F �,,, M"SS • NORTHPORJ SWOOL MR Limit y! 7 1 iIM mi lli /1►� J , - , t � •,. �� �'s Fes ,.■. IIIIII�II�� 11111f F .�. � .� = _ = --� •''�Il ill •• _.�_.��. � �� X11 MR Eon ATA ;a Ewa N IRA MoNwrig .G•r.4� Or 0 - lt�l i • s- YY i i MIN loo p, { f ,�.�, ' P x � A S .: p ., r, � w } a i Q Ask ss Og M ost PIT ft ia Y h i p e r.. Mo a E nV 2. Complementary to existing adjacent land uses as well as with those uses . permitted in the C2 district generally. 3. Of comparable intensity to permitted C2 district land uses with respect to activity levels. 4. Planned and designed to assure that generated traffic will be within the capacity of available public facilities and will not have an adverse impact upon those facilities, the immediate neighborhood, or the community. 5. Traffic generated by other uses on the site will not pose a danger to children served by the day care use. Furthermore, group day care facilities shall be subject to the special requirements set forth in Section 35 -412. Section 35 -330. 1 -1 INDUSTRIAL PARK. 1. Permitted Uses a. The following manufacturing activities: 1. Food and kindred products as illustrated by: Dairy products Bakery products Confectionery and related products Beverages, with the exception of malt liquors Macaroni, spaghetti, and noodles 2. Apparel and other finished products made from fabrics, leather, and similar materials. 3. Lumber and wood products, except saw mills and planing mills producing a dimensioned lumber. 4. Furniture and fixtures. 5. Converted paper and paperboard products (as opposed to paper and paperboard manufacturing). 6. Printing and publishing and allied industries. City of Brooklyn Center 35 -37 City Ordinance 7. Chemicals and allied products as follows: Drugs Soaps, detergents and cleaning preparations Perfumes, cosmetics and other toilet preparations (compounding and packaging only) 8. Miscellaneous plastic products. 9. Fabricated metal products as illustrated by: Office computing and accounting machines Household appliances Electrical lighting and wiring equipment Communication equipment, including radio and television receiving sets Electronic components and accessories Screw machine products 10. Professional, scientific, electronic and controlling instruments, photographic and optical goods, watches and clocks. 11. Miscellaneous manufacturing such as jewelry and silverware, musical instruments and parts, toys, amusement, sporting and athletic goods and pens, pencils and other office and artistic material 12. Assembly of electric powered vehicles. 13. Adult establishments. b. The following wholesale trade activities: 1. Automotive equipment 2. Drugs, chemicals and allied products 3. Dry goods and apparel 4. Groceries and related products 5. Electrical goods City of Brooklyn Center 35 -38 City Ordinance 6. Hardware, plumbing, heating equipment and supplies • 7. Machinery, equipment and supplies 8. Other wholesale trade similar in nature to the aforementioned uses such as paper and paper products, furniture, and home furnishings, and beer, wine and distilled alcoholic beverages, b_ ut expressly excluding petroleum bulk stations and scrap and waste materials and similar uses. c. The following service activities: 1. Laundrying, dry cleaning and dyeing 2. Contract construction 3. Kennels 4. Veterinarian and animal hospitals d. Public transportation terminals (excluding truck terminals). e. Accessory uses incidental to the foregoing principal uses when located on the same property with the use to which it is accessory. Such accessory uses to include without being restricted to the following: 1. Offstreet parking and offstreet loading. 2. Signs as permitted in the Brooklyn Center Sign Ordinance. 3. Storage of raw materials, work in process and inventory, provided such storage is within completely enclosed buildings. f. Other uses similar in nature to the aforementioned uses, as determined by the City Council. 2. Special Requirements a. See Section 35 -413 of these ordinances. 0 City of Brooklyn Center 35 -39 City Ordinance 3. Special Uses a. Foundries, provided that the foundry operation is a necessary incident to a principal use permitted in the I -1 district. b. Textile mills. c. Retail sales of products manufactured, processed, warehoused, or wholesaled on the use site. d. Accessory off -site parking not located on the same property with the principal use, subject to the provisions of Section 35 -701. e. Those commercial developments which, in each specific case, are demonstrated. to the City Council to be: 1. Compatible with existing adjacent land uses as well as with those uses permitted in the I -1 district generally. 2. Complementary to existing adjacent land uses as well as to those uses permitted in the I -1 district generally. 3. Of comparable intensity to permitted I -1 district land uses with respect to activity levels. i 4. Planned and designed to assure that generated traffic will be within the capacity of available public facilities and will not have an adverse impact upon the industrial park or the community. and, which are described in Section 35 -322, Subsection 1 d, a (subparts 1 -6), f, (subparts 2 and 3), g through j; 3 m and 3 p. Such commercial developments shall be subject to I -1 district requirements of Section 35 -400 and 35 -413 and shall otherwise be subject to the ordinance requirements of the use classification which the proposed development represents. g. Warehousing and storage uses which, in each specific case, are demonstrated to the City Council to be: 1. Compatible with existing adjacent land uses as well as with those uses permitted in the I -1 district generally. City of Brooklyn Center 35 -40 City Ordinance 2. Of comparable intensity to permitted I -1 district land uses with respect to activity levels. provided such uses shall adhere to applicable requirements in the I -1 district and shall not involve maintenance or servicing of vehicles on the site. h. Other noncommercial uses required for the public welfare as determined by the Council, including accessory outside storage of materials when screened from public view by an opaque wall. Section 35 -331. I -2 GENERAL INDUSTRY. 1. Permitted Uses a. The following manufacturing activities. 1. Food and kindred products as illustrated by: Dairy products Bakery products Confectionery and related products Beverages, with the exception of malt or malt liquors Macaroni, spaghetti and noddles 2. Textile mill products. 3. Apparel and other finished products made from fabrics, leather and similar materials. 4. Lumber and wood products, except saw mills and planing mills producing dimensioned lumber. 5. Furniture and fixtures. 6. Converted paper and paperboard products (as opposed to paper and paperboard manufacturing). 7. Printing, publishing and allied industries. City of Brooklyn Center 35 -41 City Ordinance 8. Chemicals and allied products as follows: Drugs Soaps, detergents and cleaning preparations, perfumes, cosmetics and other toilet preparations (compounding and packaging only) 9. Miscellaneous plastic products. 10. Fabricated metal products as illustrated by: Office computing and accounting machines Household appliances Electrical lighting and wiring equipment Communication equipment, including radio and television receiving sets Electronic components and accessories Screw machine product Coating, engraving and allied services 11. Professional, scientific, electronic and controlling instruments, photographic and optical goods, watches and clocks. 12. Miscellaneous manufacturing goods such as jewelry and silverware, musical instruments and parts, toys, amusement, sporting and athletic goods and pens, pencils and other office and artistic materials. 13. Assembly of electric powered vehicles. b. The following wholesale trade activities: 1. Motor vehicles and automotive equipment. 2. Drugs, chemicals and allied products. 3. Dry goods and apparel. 4. Groceries and related products. 5. Electrical goods. 6. Hardware, plumbing, heating equipment and supplies. City of Brooklyn Center 35 -42 City Ordinance 7. Machinery, equipment and supplies. • 8. Other wholesale trade similar in nature to the aforementioned uses such as paper and paper products, furniture and home furnishings and beer, wine, and distilled alcoholic beverages, but expressly excluding petroleum bulk stations and scrap and waste materials and similar uses. C. The following service activities: 1. Laundrying, dry cleaning and dyeing. 2. Warehousing and storage. 3. Automobile and truck repair and wash. 4. Contract construction. 5. Kennels. 6. Veterinarian and animal hospitals. 7. Automobile and truck rental and leasing. • 8. Gasoline service stations (See Section 35 -414), motor vehicle repair and auto washes provided they do not abut an Rl, R2, or R3 district, including abutment at a street line; trailer rental in conjunction with these uses, provided that there is adequate trailer parking space. d. Truck terminals or exchange stations. e. Public transit terminals. f. Accessory uses incidental to the foregoing principal uses when located upon the same property with the use to which it is accessory. Such accessory uses to include but not be restricted to the following: 1. Off- street parking and off - street loading. 2. Signs as permitted in the Brooklyn Center Sign Ordinance. City of Brooklyn Center 35 -43 City Ordinance 3. Storage of materials, provided that when the use abuts or is adjacent to any residential zone such storage shall be within completely enclosed buildings or • effectively screened by a solid wall or fence, including solid entrance and exit gates not less than six feet nor more than eight feet in height. g. Other uses similar in nature to the aforementioned uses, as determined by the City Council. 2. Special Requirements a. See Section 354.13 of these ordinances. 3. Special Uses a. Foundries, provided that the foundry operation is a necessary incident to a principal use permitted in the I -2 district. b. Retail sales of products manufactured, processed or wholesaled at the use site. c. Accessory off -site parking not located on the same property with the principal use, subject to the provisions of Section 35 -701. Section 35 -340. 0-1 PUBLIC OPEN SPACE DISTRICT. • 1. Permitted Uses a. Public parks, playgrounds, athletic fields, and other recreational uses of a noncommercial nature. b. Accessory uses incidental to the foregoing principal uses when located on the same property with the use to which it is accessory but not including any business or industrial use. Such accessory uses to include but not be restricted to the following: 1. Off -street parking. 2. Public recreational buildings and parks, playgrounds and athletic fields. 3. Signs as permitted in the Brooklyn Center Sign Ordinance. City of Brooklyn Center 35 -44 City Ordinance This proposal is to request an amendment of the City of Brooklyn Center's Ordinance • allowing the operation of a microbrewery. My hope is to open a microbrewery at the building my family owns at 4811 Dusharme Drive. We are located at the industrial park at the intersection of France Avenue and Highway 100. The building has been owned by our family for over thirty years and would be an excellent location for a microbrewery. This would not be a brewpub like Rock Bottom, which sells beer directly to customers. We would manufacture and distribute beer from our location to local restaurants, bars and liquor stores. Selling beer to consumers on premises is not allowed under Minnesota law for microbreweries. At the present time, there is no area in Brooklyn Center where a microbrewery can operate. Per Sections 35 -330 and 35 -331 of the City Ordinance, manufacturing of malt liquors is expressly prohibited. This document will cover the following issues: ► Microbrewery Definitions ► How beer is made ► Brewery Issues ► Microbreweries as a desirable business for communities ► Our microbrewery plans Microbrewery Definitions First some definitions are in order. The following definitions are provided by the Association of Brewers (The Association of Brewers is a trade association for the U.S. craft beer industry and has been gathering the most accurate craft beer industry statistics since the industry's emergence in 1980.) Definitions: Microbrewery: A brewery that produces less than 15,000 barrels (30,000 kegs or 465, 000 gallons) of beer per year. Microbreweries sell to the public by one or more of the following methods: the traditional three -tier system (brewer to wholesaler to retailer to consumer); the two -tier system (brewer acting as wholesaler to retailer to consumer); and, directly to the consumer through carryouts and/or on -site tap -room or restaurant sales. Brewpub: A restaurant- brewery that sells the majority of its beer on site. The beer is brewed primarily for sale in the restaurant and bar. The beer is often dispensed directly from the brewery's storage tanks. Where allowed by law, brewpubs often sell beer "to go" and /or distribute to offsite accounts. Regional Brewery: A brewery with the capacity to brew between 15, 000 and 2, 000, 000 barrels. 1 Large Brewery: A company with sales of more than 500, 000 barrels. Some large brewery • companies operate a single brewing facility, while others may have more than a dozen. Craft Beers: Generally, "all- malt, " domestic beers produced using 100 percent malted barley. Craft beers that are not all -malt sometimes substitute a percentage of malted wheat (for wheat beers) or malted rye (for rye beers). Their inspiration can be traced to British, German or Belgian traditions or is often uniquely American. Craft beers range from pale to dark in color and from mild to strong in alcohol content. Sometimes they include unusual ingredients such as fruit, herbs or spices. Compared with other beers, their emphasis is more on flavor, and less on appealing to a mass market. (The best- selling American beers are brewed using 30 to 40 percent rice or corn "adjunct, " resulting in a paler, lighter- bodied and lighter flavored beer). Craft Brewer: A brewpub, microbrewery, regional specialty brewery or contract brewing company whose majority of sales is considered craft beer. KEY. • I barrel =31 U.S. gallons =2 "half= barrel" (15.5 gallon) kegs =13.78 cases (of 24 12 -ounce bottles) Some examples - Microbrewery- Lake Superior Brewing Duluth MN Sprecher Brewing Compny Milwaukee, WI Brewpub- Herkimer Minneapolis • Town Hall Minneapolis Hops Maple Grove, Eden Prairie Green Mill St. Paul Rock Bottom Brewery Minneapolis Regional Brewer- Summit Brewing Company St. Paul Sierra Nevada Chico, CA Red Hook Seattle, WA Large Brewer- Miller Milwaukee, WI Budweiser St. Louis, MO Coors Denver, CO Now we have a common framework to reference the different type of beer producers in the marketplace. 2 Making Beer • "In reality, what makes brewing different from making potato chips or silicon wafers is simply the finished product. "- Ray Daniels, Designing Great Beers The first step in beer brewing is to crush the grain in a mill. Usually barley grain is used, the grain is malted (heating the grain to start germination) prior to the brewer receiving the grains. This is where the term "malt liquor" comes from. Next, in the mash tun, the grain is heated with water and held at a constant temperature for 90 minutes. The grains are then rinsed in the lauter tun with water to collect the sugars from the grains. The runoff is collected and then boiled in the boil kettle. During the boil, hops are added for bittering, aroma and taste. The boil last between 60 minutes to 120 minutes and then the beer is cooled and sent to the fermenting tanks. From start to finish, this process takes between 4 -8 hours to complete. In the fermenting tanks, yeast is added and the beer ferments for 3 to 7 days. The beer then ages for 2 to 6 weeks (depending on the style) and is either bottled or kegged. The finished product is then refrigerated and readied for distribution. In a small microbrewery or brewpub, two people can accomplish all of the above tasks. The industry is more capital intensive than labor intensive. The primary job of the workers is to move around the hot liquids, sanitize and clean equipment, and package the product. Hops Barley Grain • 3 The boil kettle and ho water tank. As you can see, these pie e of equipment are no t a l r e This Mkr br wery in Wisconsin jus !be an brewing beer. The size of their br wery — kA than 1500 sq uar feet — and planned Ie r I production are very similar to my goals fo rt the new business. The Mash and Lau e Tun These phot o are from Rush Rive Brewing in Wisconsin. � 4 �\ Fe men or.Thenumbe needed depends On how much beer is being produced. \� » - ~ ƒ \ - ry . > : \. ..wm... � »�® : Thee Arme t r are 13 Ae high and are located a Lake Superior Brewing in Duluth. The Arme mr are commonly telretplee of equipment in abrwery. Our ceilings a e!3 S feet high and would accommodate a |the brewing eq uipmen. . � 5 Brewery Issues There are4 a number of issues that would cause one concern when examining the feasibility of a brewery operation in one's area: ► Water Use ► Sewer Use ► Smells & Odors ► Our Building ► Safety ► Cleanliness ► Government Oversight Water I mention these issues because I feel they need to be discussed prior to the brewery operation. I am confident that all of the above can be settled in a manner that works for all parties. I have been speaking with Mark Hartfield in the Utility Department of Brooklyn Center and he does not feel that the brewery would have a significant impact upon the city's infrastructure. The first three issues (water, sewer, smells & odors) are really a matter of scale, and this • may be why the ordinance was written to prohibit breweries in Brooklyn Center. Many people homebrew in their own houses, but the amount is so small that no one notices. On the other hand, facilities like Coors and Miller have their own sewage treatment plants. There is no doubt that an operation like the old Grain Belt brewery would have swamped Brooklyn Center's water and sewer capabilities in the 1950's, back when this ordinance was written. Perhaps an operation of that scale today in Brooklyn Center would overload the infrastructure. However, the brewery I am proposing would be not be of that scale, or not even as large as Summit Brewing in St. Paul. The brewery I propose would fit in less than 2,000 square feet in an industrial park, and the impact of the small brewery on the water and sewer systems would likely not be noticed. Regarding water usage in a brewery, let's examine what amount of water the brewery would use in a year. Let's assume the brewery produces around 1000 barrels a year as an example. For every gallon of beer produced in a brewery, 5 to 7 gallons of water is consumed for production and cleanup. That works out to 155,000 to 217,000 gallons of water used per year. This is comparable to a household of four, which uses around 146,000 gallons of water annually. The city of Brooklyn Center pumps out 1.3 billion gallons per year. Clearly the introduction of a microbrewery would not impact the water usage of the city. For comparison, Lake Superior Brewing in Duluth has been in existence for more than 10 years in central Duluth and they produce around 1700 barrels of beer per year. I would • 6 i not expect the size of my brewery operation to ever surpass 5000 barrels per year. The • realistic production of a startup brewery is around 500 barrels per year. Sewage Regarding sewage /wastewater production, this amount would be less then the water used as the beer is not disposed of. The effluent produced in the 1000 barrel example works out to 124,000 to 186,000 gallons of wastewater. According to the city Water Department, the city disposes of 1.04 billion gallons of wastewater per year. If we use our 1000 barrel example, the brewery's impact upon the city sewer system would add 0.011 % to the yearly production of sewage. You can see with the amount of water entering the waste stream that the small amount of a start-up microbrewery will not greatly affect the city's resources. The bigger issue with breweries and sewage is the BOD (Biological Oxygen Demand) of the products that are disposed. Dumping beer and yeast down the drain puts a strain on water treatment plants. However, the problems with yeast disposal have been addressed by most breweries; they simply kill the yeast by boiling or adding chemicals. The issue is easily neutralized in every existing brewery in accordance with local water and sewer systems. Large amounts of beer are rarely disposed of by using the sewage system. Most beer that • ends up down the drain is trace amounts associated with cleaning the equipment. Odors Most individuals do not have an issue with the smell of a brewery. Most compare the odors to that of a bakery. I have spoken with brewers at Lake Superior Brewing (downtown Duluth), Rush River Brewing (Maiden Rock, WI), Town Hall Brewpub (Seven Corners in Minneapolis), Herkimer Brewpub (Uptown), Viking Brewing (Dallas, WI), Bandana Brewery (Mankato), Hops Restaurants (Maple Grove), Great Waters (St. Paul) and Rock Bottom Brewpub (downtown Minneapolis), and none of them have had any complaints from their neighbors regarding odors, or any other issues. While discussing odor issues, let us address the current state of Gopher State Ethanol, the former Schmidt Brewery, in St. Paul and its relation to the prospect of a microbrewey in Brooklyn Center. The important issue is that the Gopher State Ethanol plant, which produces ethanol along with many complaints from the neighborhood, is no longer a brewery. In 2000, they began making ethanol, and their problems began. The following is an excerpt from a story by NPR in September of 2002. "Testing at Gopher State Ethanol, a converted St. Paul brewery, showed levels of pollutants far higher than the industry had claimed. Those results triggered an EPA crackdown on ethanol plants nationwide. The castle -like brick building of the old Schmitz Brewery towers over the surrounding houses on the flats of the Mississippi River. For generations, neighbors coexisted peacefully with the • smell of beer - making. But in April 2000, the financially troubled brewery -- 7 now called the Minnesota Brewing Company -- began making a new product. ethanol. Darren Wolfson, who lives five blocks away, noticed the change in the • air immediately. "The second they flipped the switch, it was like a smack in the face, he says." Clearly, the issue with the facility is its production of ethanol. A very large amount of beer has been produced at that sight since 1855, but the problems started when they stopped the production of beer. I have no plans, current or future, to ever produce ethanol. Our Building Our building is in a desirable location with regard to residential areas for the brewery. To the north, we have train tracks behind our building. To the east there is a gravel yard and a lake. To the south is the industrial park, which continues West to the Highway 100 and France Avenue interchange. The industrial park would be the ideal area in Brooklyn Center to locate a brewery. The area has ample highway access (Especially once the France Avenue interchange is completed!) The area is comprised of heavy manufacturing and business that are used to the large volume of delivery trucks. The water and sewer facilities are adequate for a brewery operation and we are not directly located next to housing. At our building, we do have enough parking space for employees. According to JVNW Systems, a manufacturer of brewery equipment, a facility with our size could produce • between 1000 — 2500 barrels of beer per year. With that amount of production, they estimate we would need 4.5 workers to produce that product. Clearly, we have adequate parking and building facilities for that number of employees. Breweries are specialized industries and place particular demands upon the facilities in which they are located. Our building has the physical structures necessary for the operation of a brewery. ► The ceilings provide enough space for brewing equipment. ► Water supply is adequate and the city water is of good quality ► Floors can support the heavy loads of brewing equipment and fermentors ► Adequate sewage capacity ► 220 and 440 volt electrical service presently in building ► Sufficient square footage for a small brewery ► Large entryway for the large brewing equipment ► Sufficient parking areas for employees. Safety Breweries are safe areas to work. Almost all of the machinery is stationary and there are few moving parts in the equipment in the brewery. Most of the work performed is the transfer of liquids and cleaning of the equipment. The most common injury in the brewery is back injuries due to lifting kegs of beer. According to OSHA's web -site, the • 8 malt liquor producing industry is safer than the industries that currently reside in our • industrial park. Cleanliness Cleanliness is an issue that often comes up when discussing breweries. Obviously, breweries must be kept clean as they are areas in which beverages are produced. Because special yeasts must be used, the air systems are always working and kept in good condition. Any dirty areas in a brewery can harbor bacteria and wild yeasts, so breweries need to be kept clean to assure a good product. Mice are always a concern due to the large amounts of grain stored on site. Because of this, breweries always have weeds and vegetation cut down around the building and all grains in the brewery are kept off the floor and stored on racks. Breweries are constantly being cleaned and are inspected regularly by the Minnesota Agriculture Department. An unclean brewery is one that will not be in business for long, as the cleanliness of the brewery is reflected in the quality of the product. Government Oversight The brewery industry is one of the most regulated industries in America. The federal government has an arduous application process to open a microbrewery. There are more than 27 different forms that must be completed to receive permission to brew beer; these include environmental and water assessments, personnel questionnaires and an Interpol • questionnaire. In addition to working with the federal government, one must be granted approval by the State of Minnesota to open a brewery. The Minnesota Agriculture Department must also grant approval of the brewery's building and equipment setup. Due to the amount of tax revenue generated by the brewing industry, it is closely regulated by the government to assure that all produced malt liquor is accounted for, taxed, and properly distributed according to the laws of the state. Desirable Business Breweries have been part of the American landscape since the Pilgrims landed on Plymouth Rock. In the 1800's, more than 4,000 breweries existed across the US, supplying the local community with a fresh supply of beer. Almost every town had its own brewery and unique styles to serve the population. Prohibition shut down almost all of the existing breweries. In the 1970's, a wave of consolidation took over, and only 40 breweries existed. In the 1980's the industry began a revival by small craft brewers, mainly located in the Pacific Northwest. Since that time, the microbrewery market has grown and continues to expand. Many microbreweries have a special relationship with their consumers that other products do not enjoy. Individuals want to know where their beer is produced, and they have a tendency to support local breweries. Brewery tours are a popular way for consumers to get to know how beer is produced. Every bottle of my beer produced will • have Brooklyn Center on the label. People often travel to visit their favorite brewery. 9 Because of the brewery tours, people unfamiliar with Brooklyn Center may come to visit from other parts of Minnesota. Breweries and their products are closely tied to the • communities they are located in, and I plan to make that the case with our microbrewery. Supporting community events will be a theme in our brewery. Summit Brewery is an excellent example of the relationship a city may have with its brewery. Recently, in an effort to retain Summit as a St. Paul business, the city sold Summit 4 acres of land for its new brewery on the Mississippi River for $1.00. Many, people associate Summit Beer with the city of St. Paul; hopefully we could do the same with Brooklyn Center and a new microbrewery. I feel there would be a great deal of news coverage on the opening of a microbrewery in Brooklyn Center because it would be just the second brewery in the Twin Cities. Economic Impact The following data from the Association of Brewers demonstrates that the beer brewing industry is an important contributor to the US economy and that it remains healthy. Overall U.S. Brewing Industry Dollar Volume: $58.7 billion Jobs created by beer: 1, 662,800 Wages created by beer: $47.4 billion Taxes created by beer: $27.5 billion (includes business, personnel and consumption taxes) Economic impact created by beer: $144.5 billion Total U.S. craft beer industry annual dollar volume: $3.4 billion. • "The continued growth trend really speaks to the stability of craft beer in a variety of economic environments it has experienced. The quality and diversity ofAmerican beer has never been better. It's exciting to think about what tomorrow will bring." Paul Gatza, director of the Institute for Brewing Studies. Our Plans My family has been running a business in our building at 4811 Dusharme Drive since 1974. Our business has changed greatly over that time, we originally employed up to 80 people, manufacturing abrasives for the metal- working trade. Since that time, we import the majority of our products and sell to smaller shops. Unfortunately, the manufacturing industry has continued to lose jobs to foreign markets. Many customers that we have had since our inception are closing their doors due to poor business conditions. We are currently down - sizing our operation into a smaller part of our building. In our building, we currently lease a 2700 square -foot area to Affordable Remodelers. They are down- sizing and vacating their space. That is the part of the building in which I would like to set up the brewery. It would be a good decision to move into a growth industry that has a future as opposed to staying in the manufacturing business that continues to shrink and lose jobs to overseas markets. • 10 If the city were to amend the zoning ordinance, I could move forward in purchasing equipment and working with federal regulators for brewery approval. I imagine it would take around six months to accomplish the above. In this proposal, I have attempted to address all reasons why Brooklyn Center would object to a microbrewery. If there are any issues I have not covered, please let me have the opportunity to address them. I hope the city of Brooklyn Center will allow the opening of a microbrewery so we can stay in our current building and continue to be a provider of jobs to the community. We have always been good neighbors and worked with the city to solve problems. I think that the addition of a microbrewery to the city would be an asset for everyone involved. SPARKY ABRASWES Manufacturer and Distributor of Industrial Abrasives 4811 Dusharme Drive Minneapolis, MN 55429 Toll Free (800) 328 -4560 Fax (800) 553 -7224 OMAR ANSARI Local (612) 535 -2311 E -mail zsparky @aol.com 11