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Council directs staff to pursue code changes to allow brewpubs in activity centers, trim fees and remove redundant bonds
Summary
Council voted 6–0 to direct staff to prepare code and license changes that would expand where brewpubs can locate, reduce duplicate licensing fees for co-located brewery-restaurants, and remove city cash-bond requirements that staff said are redundant with police safeguards.
The Sandy City Council voted unanimously July 15 to ask staff to prepare land-use and licensing code changes to ease openings of “brewpubs” — restaurants that produce beer onsite — in specified commercial and mixed-use areas.
Community Development staff presented a study of state licensing requirements, local zoning constraints and a map showing buffers around community locations (schools, churches, public libraries, playgrounds and parks) that state law exempts from alcohol licenses. Staff recommended permitting brewpubs in neighborhood activity centers and in commercial zones where a restaurant licensed to serve alcohol already would be allowed.
Melissa Anderson, community development planner, told the council the state requires separate manufacturing and restaurant licenses; Sandy’s current local practice mirrors that approach, but staff recommended charging a single local alcohol-license fee for a co-located brewery/restaurant rather than two separate local fees. Business-licensing staff also proposed scrapping several bonding requirements: a $2,000 cash bond and smaller enforcement bonds the city has required (plus a currently separate police-related $10,000 bond). Leslie Casarell, business license administrator, told the council staff has not had to use the cash bonds and that police enforcement procedures make the requirement redundant.
Council member Zach Robinson, who asked for the study, said the recommended geographic limits align with the city’s long-range neighborhood activity-center planning and would be a targeted approach rather than a citywide blanket change. Several council members said the changes would reduce barriers for prospective businesses without meaningfully expanding where alcohol service is allowed.
Council member Robinson moved to direct staff to draft redline code amendments and take the proposal through the planning commission process for public review; a second was recorded and a roll-call vote carried 6–0. Roll call recorded yes votes by Council members Robinson, D'Souza, Stroud, Hausman, Sharkey and Meekum. The motion directed staff to include the licensing changes recommended in the presentation.
Next steps: staff will prepare a redlined code and licensing rewrite, take it to the Planning Commission for public hearing and then return to council for final adoption. Staff suggested the changes include clear, objective standards for permitted uses and that any conditional-use situations mirror existing restaurant/alcohol rules.
