With microbreweries booming across the country, the Champaign Plan Commission gave its approval for a zoning code amendment that would allow breweries and microbreweries to operate in industrial and commercial zoning districts.
The decision was driven by the hurdles encountered by a brewery attempting to open at Washington and Market streets, which is in a zoning area that doesn't explicitly allow microbrewing as an allowable land use.
The new zoning rules would permit brewing businesses to operate in commercial and industrial zones as long as they are no bigger than 10,000 square feet and produce no more than 10,000 barrels of beer annually. Breweries will have to follow existing sewer rules, keeping brewing waste like spent hops and grain out of the sewer stream.
In order to have a tasting room on site, the amendment would require breweries and microbreweries to apply for a Class B liquor license. The rules would also require them to maintain at least 90 percent of their tasting room sales from product made on site. Selling more than 10 percent of total sales using product produced off-site would require a Class A liquor license.
The commission also discussed rules for events and tours, potential odors, traffic implications, and other potential concerns, all of which were considered to be regulated by other codes already on the books.
The amendment will move on to the Champaign City Council for final consideration.
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