by Kelsey Penrose
Carson City Board of Supervisors approved a zoning amendment Thursday to allow for a brewery with a tasting room to be a conditional use within tourist commercial zoning.
The amendment was proposed by Shoe Tree Brewing Company, which currently operates under zoning as a “bar” in their location off of Old Hot Springs Road.
However, the business hopes to expand into a building adjacent to the current building, and wishes it to be zoned under a brewery and tasting room.
All supervisors except Supervisor Maurice White voted in favor, along with a 7-0 recommendation from the Planning Commission.
“While I do support Shoe Tree Brewery, Master Plan zoning is supposed to provide stability and predictability to the neighbors,” said White. “I don’t think it’s appropriate to make these changes outside of a Master Plan review.”
Supervisor Stacey Giomi asked if there was a way to make “brewery with a tasting room” an allowed use as opposed to a conditional use.
“It seems to me that a brewery with a tasting room fits right in with what we’d want in terms of this district,” said Giomi. “It seems like it should be an allowed use, given the right size.”
Hope Sullivan from Carson City Planning Office stated that the applicant had already agreed with a conditional use; had they not, they would have potentially explored other avenues of an allowed use versus a conditional use.
Shoe Tree Brewing Co. currently has two locations: the first in Carson City next to the historic Carson City Hot Springs, and it’s newest location in Minden.
