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Waunakee approves alcohol license for new Main Street tasting room; tobacco permit deferred for legal and ventilation review
Summary
The Village Board granted an alcohol license to TR Waunakee LLC for a tasting room at 114 E. Main St. (4 yes, 2 no, 1 abstention) but deferred a separate cigarette/tobacco/e-vaping retail license for the same business pending legal advice and contractor-provided ventilation specifications.
The Waunakee Village Board approved an original alcohol beverage license for TR Waunakee LLC, a new tasting room planned at 114 E. Main St., but delayed acting on the business’s cigarette, tobacco and electronic-vaping retail license until the next meeting for further legal and technical review.
During discussion trustees raised concerns about outdoor live music decibel limits and neighborhood impacts. Staff noted the conditional-use framework used for outdoor-music exceptions would be applied consistently across downtown businesses. After debate, the board voted to approve the alcohol license (the clerk recorded four yes votes, two no votes and one abstention).
A separate state rule now requires local review of tobacco and vaping retail permits. Trustees expressed public-health concerns about allowing on-site smoking in an indoor lounge and asked the tasting room’s representative, Adam (calling in from the Monona location), to provide technical specifications for the ventilation system and for legal counsel to advise on applicable state law. Adam said the Monona lounge uses a high-performance ventilation system with approximately 14–15 air exchanges per hour and that the business has operated without staff complaints; he agreed to provide specifications and have owners attend the next meeting if possible.
The board voted to defer action on the tobacco/vaping license to allow staff to collect ventilation specs, obtain legal guidance and host a tasting-room representative at the next meeting.
