Land-use changes on tap for Winnipeg craft brewers

Opening a microbrewery or body-modification parlour in Winnipeg will soon involve jumping through fewer regulatory hoops.

This morning, council's property approved aseries of changes to the city's land-use rules, based on areview of what's officially known as the Winnipeg Zoning Bylaw.

One of those changes would modernize city rules regarding breweries, which are only allowed in industrial areas right now. A report to council's property committee in July 2016 suggested this is problematic for the city's nascent craft-brewingindustry, because breweries may be more desirable in commercial areas.

Another changewould allow microbreweries, wineries and distilleries to sell their wares to other restaurants, bars and wholesalers such as Manitoba Liquor & Lotteries. While provincial liquor regulations allow these sales, the existing city rules create a Kafkaesque situation where microbreweries are forced to sell their wares on site.

Paul McMullan, who hopes to open a neighbourhood brewery called Stone Angel, told council's property committee this small change will make his business viable.

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The property committee is also considering eliminating a public-hearing requirement for tattoo and body-piercing parlours.

Currently, what are formally known as "body-modification establishments" cannot be set up without a public hearing. Planners say they are rarely rejected at these hearings and ought to be considered a permitted use in most commercial areas.

A total of 75 zoning-bylaw amendments were presented to council's property committee . Other amendmentsinclude changes to regulations governing care homes, secondary suites and parking.

The amendments still face approval from executive policy committee on Wednesday and then council as a whole on Jan. 25.