Franklin Board Approves Prime Beverage Group Special Exception for 2300 Progress Drive

The Franklin Board of Zoning Appeals voted unanimously Thursday to grant a special exception to Prime Beverage Group to operate a beverage production facility at 2300 Progress Drive.

The 5–0 vote approved ZB25-7 subject to staff-recommended conditions that include: approval running with Prime Beverage Group and its affiliates; on-site parking provided at a minimum of one paved space per employee during the largest shift plus overlap in compliance with Article 7, Chapter 10 of the zoning ordinance; adequate loading-berth parking for semi-tractors; on-site pretreatment of wastewater to standards set by the Department of Public Works (DPW); and required improvement-location and building permits and compliance with applicable federal, state, county, and local codes.

Senior planner Alex Getchell introduced the petition and described the property as an existing vacant shell building in the Sunbeam development zoned IL (Industrial Light). Getchell said the applicant estimated roughly 50–70 trucks per day and planned four shifts with 40–45 employees per shift, initially totaling about 180 employees, and that exterior mechanical equipment and storage tanks would be located on the north side of the building. Staff indicated those additions appear permissible without additional variances but recommended the special exception be approved with the conditions read into the record.

Attorney Andy Metzel, representing Prime Beverage Group, said the use is contemplated by the city’s zoning ordinance but requires a special exception in the IL district. "We are proposing this special exception because it is required by the zoning ordinance in the Industrial Light District," Metzel told the board, adding that the company expects the operation to increase local employment and tax revenue while meeting development standards.

John West, vice president of operations for Prime Beverage Group, detailed the company’s operations and environmental controls. West said the company has grown since its 2020 founding and would start with about 180 employees in Franklin, with hiring drawn from nearby community colleges and Franklin College. On wastewater management, West said the site’s wet well and automated dosing system measure pH and adjust using acid and caustic tanks before discharge. "We actually reduced our wastewater 70% over that exact same time," West said of improvements at another facility credited to cooling/reuse equipment the company plans to install in Franklin.

Board members probed monitoring and safety practices. A board member pointed to a low Indeed rating for employee satisfaction and asked what the company would do differently in Franklin; West described plans for local hiring, internships and planned ventilation upgrades to improve working conditions. Another member asked about spill containment for chemical tanks; West said containment walls and spill kits are part of the plan and that the company can add containment if required.

At the hearing, no members of the public spoke for or against the petition. After staff outlined the conditions — including the parking calculation tied to the largest shift and overlap, and the requirement that wastewater be pretreated before entering the municipal sanitary sewer system in accordance with DPW standards — counsel for the applicant confirmed the conditions were acceptable and asked that the approval be allowed to run with successor entities within Prime Beverage Group.

Chair Bill Carson moved to approve ZB25-7 with the stated conditions; the motion was seconded and passed on a 5–0 roll call (Mister Nally yes; Mister Groose yes; Mister Kemski yes; Mister Acton yes; chair yes).

The board’s action grants the special exception; the applicant must obtain required building and improvement permits and meet DPW pretreatment requirements and any applicable federal and state regulations before commencing operations.