On the Farm is set to get a new wine manufacturing business and tasting room.
Council passed third reading of a zoning amendment for the proposal at its meeting Tuesday night.
Steve Moir, the owner of two businesses already on the property, the Cloudburst Café and the Locavore Food Truck, is behind the plan.
“This essentially takes a commercial operation and just adds a couple of additional usages, in my mind, some of which already exist there, and adds the liquor licence scenarios,” said Coun. Doug Race in voicing his support for the proposal slated for 1861 Mamquam Rd.
In addition to adding the liquor manufacturing and wine tasting businesses, under the plan to reinvigorate On the Farm, the café and Locavore Food Truck will be moved and the businesses expanded, according to District staff.
As part of the project, landscaping and streetscape upgrades will also occur along Mamquam Road, including planting of trees, paving the parking lot and adding a pedestrian entrance way.
Prior to the vote, a public hearing was held, but no one came forward to speak to the proposal.
The District received two negative comments on the project prior to Tuesday’s meeting, according to staff. One commenter was concerned about cooking oils in the air and the change to the character of the neighbourhood.
Another commenter who lives adjacent to the property had several concerns and also questioned the change to the neighbourhood. The property had been home to a garden centre previously, he noted, which is quite different from living next to a liquor establishment.
The garden centre at On the Farm Country Market closed in January of 2014.
The proposal will come before council at a future meeting for final adoption.
