The Marlborough City Legislative and Legal Affairs Committee voted 2–1 on May 14 to recommend allowing LaShu Brewing and Roasting Company to use the sidewalk area by the Court Street garage for outdoor seating seven days a week, but members did not approve the brewery’s wider request to close Weed Street or to reserve the new City Hall courtyard for regular, brewery-run events.

Melinda Gallagher, who presented the request for LaShu, told the committee she hopes to continue pandemic-era outdoor activity on weekends and use the renovated courtyard and adjacent Weed Street for live music, farmers markets, food trucks and community programming. Gallagher asked the committee to grant extended use so the business would not need one-day pouring permits, which she said are limited to 30 per year; Gallagher told the committee the work she and partners did in prior years would have required “over 71 day permits” if the cap applied.

The proposal included Fridays 4 p.m. through Sundays 8 p.m. for Weed Street and specific assurances that a clear, ADA-accessible path would be maintained from the Court Street garage to the rear City Hall entrance. Gallagher said LaShu would use road barriers to close the street when required, monitor the area during events, and remove trash.

Committee members split on the broader request. Councilor Roby said he objects to routinely closing Weed Street on Saturdays and argued the City Hall courtyard is a public amenity that should remain available for city events; he suggested the brewery should follow existing permitting processes for one-off events. Other councilors, including Councilor Doucette and Councilor Vital, said the courtyard is new and underused and that allowing LaShu to program it this summer—subject to city override when needed—would demonstrate the space’s potential and encourage other users.

Operational and safety questions were raised. Members asked that barrier types and liability be reviewed by the Police Department and legal counsel; Melinda Gallagher said LaShu has used plastic road barriers in the past and that use-of-public-space and noise-variance applications would still be filed for larger events. The committee also noted the farmers market’s approved Saturday operations (June 14–Oct. 4) and discussed coordinating vendor layout in the courtyard if events conflict.

The committee motion (moved by Councilor Roby) approved only the request to use the sidewalk area by the Court Street garage seven days a week for seating and was seconded and carried by a 2–1 committee vote. Councilors and staff said any additional language about courtyard use, Saturday street closures, barrier responsibilities, or long-run precedence for other businesses should be tightened by the solicitor and referred to relevant departments (Police, DPW, Mayor’s office or MEDC) before final council consideration.

Next steps: the committee’s recommendation on the sidewalk seating will go forward; wider approval for Weed Street closures and regular use of the City Hall courtyard will require further drafting and review before full council action.