ST. JOHN'S, N.L. — Brewdock Bar & Eatery on Duckworth Street got the green light from city council on Monday, and co-owners Craig Farewell and Steve Martin are pleased with the decision.
Farewell told reporters outside council chambers they aim to create a vibrant, family-friendly atmosphere, including an outdoor drinking area with plenty of green space and mature trees.
The co-owners said it will serve all local craft beer, and they hope to have room for 60 seats on the deck. They aim to open by the end of July or beginning of August, but that could change, they said.
The proposal was a contentious one because some area residents had a number of concerns, mainly with noise from outdoor speakers on the deck.
“Change is always a hard thing, and we just want to make sure that we have positive change for the area, but we don’t negatively impact any of the residents,” — Craig Farewell
Because some residents wanted to see the proposal go ahead, but were concerned about noise, Coun. Hope Jamieson made a motion to approve the application without outdoor speakers.
Council voted against that motion, with only Jamieson and Deputy Mayor Sheilagh O’Leary voting in favour of it.
Coun. Ian Froude then made a motion to approve the application with the requirements set out by city staff, which include restrictions on the noise levels.
All but O’Leary voted in favour of the motion. Jamieson acknowledged staff laid out a “robust set of guidelines to work with.”
Those include that outdoor lighting and speakers must be directed downward, facing the deck; outdoor speakers cannot exceed 70 decibels; and the speakers can be turned on only when the beer garden is in use and turned off by 9 p.m.
Documents related to the proposal in the council agenda showed the decibel level of normal conversation, for comparison, is around 60 db and a toilet flushing is about 75 db.
The proponents also agreed that the city could review the decibel level at any time and change the maximum allowable level.
The outdoor beer garden is expected to be used roughly 45 days per year.
O’Leary said she thought it was a “fantastic proposal,” but her biggest concern regarding the noise levels was monitoring the noise, and enforcing the requirements. She said after 10 years on city council she’s noticed that monitoring decibel levels is something the city grapples with.
Deputy city manager Jason Sinyard said the city would investigate noise levels only when there are complaints, and the city has a decibel metre to measure noise levels.
Meanwhile, the co-owners said they “completely understand” the area residents’ concerns.
“Change is always a hard thing, and we just want to make sure that we have positive change for the area, but we don’t negatively impact any of the residents,” said Farewell.
Martin said that’s why they did their homework and put together what they thought was a fair package for everyone.
“We’re just happy to see a realistic approach to this,” he said.
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