Permit for new brewery proposed okayed by planners

by Dan McClelland

The village and town planning board issued a special use permit Wednesday to a local couple who are planning to create a brewhouse/tap room at 138 Park Street, next to the Tupper Lake Free Press building.

Cornelius “Neil” and Sara Kriwox pitch their new tap room proposal for 138 Park Street to members of the town and village planning board Wednesday. They were issue a special use permit for their project (Dan McClelland photo)

Cornelius “Neil” and Sara Kriwox provided details of their new business plans to the planners in a public hearing that evening.

“We want to open a tap room in Tupper Lake where we’ll brew beer,” Neil began that evening. He said he has been brewing beer as a hobby for a number of years.

Their beer will be brewed and consumed “on-site,” he said, explaining they don’t anticipate selling kegs of their beer products to area restaurants and bars.

“If you want our beer, you’re going to have to come to Tupper Lake to buy it,” he said of their simple business plan.

The couple has a contract to purchase the property from Pat Bedore and Andrew McClelland of Stacked Graphics, who purchased the property from Dan Jenkins when they were looking to relocate from the Free Press building a half dozen years ago. Instead of moving their business there, however, they purchased the former Newberry building with Andrew’s wife Faith and relocated there alongside Faith's Spruce and Hemlock store.

“We don’t plan on doing any food. A third party will provide the food for us,” he said referring to a nearby restaurant. Or the food served will come from food trucks parked on site.

He said there will be water and electric hook-ups on site to accommodate food truck operators who may situate there.

Neil said they anticipate a “small operation” on the village lot.

The new business will be back to back with the house on Vachereau Street they recently purchased from Jane Cole.

“We’re looking to develop a nice community place we think will be very good for Tupper Lake.”

Chairman Shawn Stuart asked them their plans for the former Jenkins Storage building that occupies most of the southern half of the lot and the brick garage behind it.

Sara Kriwox said they plan at this point to raze both buildings “and then build fresh.”

She said any new building will likely be aligned to the frontages of neighboring buildings which front right on the Park Street sidewalk.

The building may be slightly wider than the former Jenkins Storage building, she thought.

Asked where any food trucks would be parked, they figured on the paved driveway that currently exists there.

When the session was opened for comments from the public Publisher Dan McClelland spoke in favor of the project. “As a neighbor, I support them. These young folks seem very industrious and in whatever they do they will do a great job. Their new brewery will be right in the hub of the uptown business district, across from our new Crossroads Hotel. I think it will be a wonderful addition to our Park Street business district.

Vachereau Street resident David “Robbie” Dechene said he agreed with Mr. McClelland.

“That old building out front was pretty beat up and it’s good if it comes down!”

He said the building was at one time decades ago the headquarters for Magrino’s Dry Cleaners. Tony Magrino owned the business and Bob Magrino worked for Tony, Mr. Dechene told the planners.

The building for a time was also the offices of Dan Dattola and Ray Jenkins and their company Adirondack Concepts, which helped develop several major housing initiatives in the 1980s which included Rock Ridge Townhouses and Haymeadow Development, Mr. McClelland remembered.

After the hearing closed the board moved on the application by the couple for the permit.

“We’re discussing more of the use of the property tonight, rather than physical appearance of any proposed building,” the chairman explained of the process before his board.

“I have no problem with a new brewery there,” said member Doug Bencze, who was first to speak. He said Little Italy is right next to it, turning that section of Park Street into a place residents and visitors can find good food and good beer. He felt the two businesses would complement each other. “I think it will be very good for uptown!”

Jan Yaworski said she felt their proposed brewery “is ideally located,” given the presence of the popular restaurant next door and the new hotel coming soon across the street.

She referred to a comment one of the Kriwoxes made about the new siding of the new building and that it would likely match the sidings of other buildings on Park Street. “Can you elaborate a little?” she asked the couple.

Sara Kriwox said that before they make final plans for the design and overall appearance of their new brewery building they will again be approaching the planners for their ideas. “We want it to look how you want it to look...how you think Park Street should look!” she told the planning board members.

“We’re open to your ideas about design and color...we want your input, as right now we’re not completely firm on those things. Whatever you think would look best to make Park Street look better, we'd like to hear your comments!”

Mr. Stuart suggested those discussions about design and building color should be left to an upcoming meeting.

Board Member Tom Maroun called the proposal by Mr. and Mrs. Kriwox “a great idea,” that reckons to be a great improvement to that section of Park Street, given the condition of the two buildings now there.

Mr. Stuart said he “certainly agreed” and called for a motion to approve the special review use which came unanimously from the four members present.

Of the forthcoming process about the board’s involvement with the actual design and exterior appearance of the new brewery, Planner Paul O’Leary said a condition of the permit is that an “approved site plan will be required” at a subsequent meeting of the board.

“The applicants will return with a site plan and site elevations for review by the planning board,” he explained of the process.

Mr. Stuart directed the applicants to work with Mr. O’Leary on the development of their plans. “I can tell you, however, we are looking to keep the flavor of the area,” he told them.

He said it will not be required for them to build their new building right to the sidewalk but that it could be set back a bit to perhaps allow seating and tables out front.

Sara Kriwox admitted she was hoping the building could be set back a distance, but they wanted to do whatever the planning board required.

Tom Maroun also said he thought the building could be pushed back from the sidewalk.

“These are all things you are going to have to work through, but definitely you will need to have a two-story facade,” Mr. Stuart told them.

“You know that little single story brown building across from the village office. It can’t look like that building” and must follow the character of the two-story buildings on the street.

Sara said they envision a narrow two-story building with two large covered porches in front- one on the ground floor and a second one above it.

Mr. Stuart suggested instead of engaging the services of an architect they could develop “some conceptual designs” and present them to his board “so we can go back and forth on them with you. We would be certainly willing to help you!”

He suggested as they develop their building plans they should investigate the plans and proposed design of the Crossroads Hotel across the street for ideas.

Mr. Kriwox said Curt Eggsware will be the builder. His wife said the building will likely have a wooden exterior, painted Adirondack colors.

He said they looked forward to working with the planners on the development of their building plans.