New brewery proposed at 138 Park gets green light from planners

by Dan McClelland

The proposed Tupper Lake Brewery, to be situated on now nearly leveled grounds at 138 Park Street, can now move ahead, following approval by the joint village and town planning board of an amendment to its original permit filed and approved nearly a year ago.

Neil and Sara Kriwox saw the endorsement of their project by the entire planning board at the April 27 monthly meeting.

The amendment was required because the young couple changed their building plans. Instead of replacing the old two-story building on the site, Neil and Sara now intend to build their new brewery and tap room on the footprint of an old brick garage on the site. The couple intends to attack their project in phases.

On grounds newly cleaned up last week by Kentile Excavating, the new business people intend to create an outdoor garden, punctuated with plenty of flowers, shrubs and decorative trees where craft beer fans will enjoy what they came to the brewery for.

At the March meeting the planning board members asked for a detailed site plan, showing the various plantings planned, with elevations. Neil and Sara had presented various architectural sketches and maps and and other drawings that evening.

The April meeting opened with the comment by Chairman Shawn Stuart that updates to the couple's plans had been sent to the members in advance of that night's meeting.

“They have provided us with what we asked them for last meeting,” Board Member Tom Maroun said, pointing to the completed paperwork.

Jim Merrihew agreed that the couple had furnished them with the additional sketches and plans they wanted. “We know now exactly what the building will look like,” as well as what the site will look like.

The completed plans for the new brewery building and the colors the exterior surfaces will be painted were all in materials before the planners that evening.

Jan Yaworski thought it was wonderful that these “young entrepreneurs are investing in the community.”

Planner Dave St. Onge called their proposed brewery “a great addition to Park Street.”

Another board member and the newest one, Andrew Chary, applauded the applicants “for making their plans a lot clearer to us” and that are easier to visualize.

He also thanked them for including a sketch of the “pathway lighting” leading into the building through the garden.

Mr. Stuart asked about two sheets in their planning documents which show different details in plans for the outdoor beer garden. One sheet, he said, showed grass right up to the sidewalk, while another showed paving stones there.

Sara Kriwox told him they plan a combination of surfaces in the front of the outdoor garden- paving stone sections where the outdoor fire pits will be situated, and grass in other places.

She also said they are proposing an open-style fence in front with flower beds and plantings along the sidewalk.

Planner Paul O'Leary reported to his board that since the March meeting he reached out to the couple and they had several discussions about where any large propane tank to service the propane-fuelled fire pits would be situated.

“They don't want it (any tank) to be seen either, so it would be screened,” he said of the couple's intentions.

The board approved the brewery project unanimously, and wished the young couple well with all their future endeavors.

The monthly planning board meeting opened with a public hearing on a two-lot minor subdivision of lands located at Moody at 1718 State Route 30. The property owner, Jim Richer, was represented by Survey Owen Littlefield.

At Chairman Shawn Stuart's suggestion the local surveyor gave a brief overview of the application.

Mr. Littlefield said the subdivision plan effects “two main parcels with common ownership.”

“They are looking eventually to sell the main house which was one of Tupper Lake's oldest hotels.”

He showed how they wanted to partition the property which involved using the one lot to complement the other. In doing so it gives the house “a nice yard and looks like it it the property that goes with the house. Rather than being cut up in a strange way!”

There were no public comments regarding the matter, neither at the meeting nor in the weeks before following notice of the hearing.

Approving the new land arrangement at Moody was first on the agenda of the regular part of the meeting.

Chairman Stuart called it a fairly straight forward proposal and asked his members to share their thoughts, which there were none.

The board, on a motion by Doug Bencze, seconded by Jan Yaworski, passed the matter unanimously.