Maplewood officials Tuesday night efficiently ticked off agenda items, including approving Raising Cane’s Chicken Fingers and the 2016-2017 city budget — but not a reintroduction of a bill to allow Craft Beer Cellar (CBC) to open a store in Maplewood.
After the council defeated CBC’s request for a permit at its July 12 meeting 6-1, on Tuesday about a dozen community supporters spoke in favor of the business, using words like bewildered, astonished, astounded and surprised to describe their feelings on the negative decision.
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Craft Beer Cellar is a locally owned franchise with a Clayton store; owners, brothers Brandon and Ryan Nickelson, would like to open a second shop in Maplewood in the 7400 block of Manchester Road. They came to the meeting to answer questions, but none came in the meeting.
Plan and zoning previously passed the request unanimously, and two members of that commission spoke in favor at the meeting, reminding the council members of the dedicated work that went into their decision.
Maplewood business owners Abby Bolyard (Bolyard’s Meats & Provisions), Bill Barnes (commercial real estate, representing CBC) spoke. Dan Slavin (building owner where CBC would like to move to) read a letter from Maplewood commercial building owner Rob Birenbaum that supported CBC.
Maplewood residents spoke too.
“It’s a classy place. It’s not a thing where you go in and buy 30 packs of beer,” resident Brian Phillips said. “It’s something that will continue to enhance the Maplewood experience, and it is only going to help bring more great businesses to continue Maplewood’s moving forward.”
After the meeting, Mayor Jim White had no comment, but council members did, inferring that there is hope for the business.
Ward 2 Councilman Tim Dunn said, “Nobody has run away from the table. The mayor’s going to look into some legal opinions about some ordinances. I mean, he wants to protect the city of Maplewood. That’s his job. I respect him for that. That’s why we didn’t bring anything up tonight, because we want to move everybody along together.”
Dunn said White and others remember Maplewood in the 1970s when the city was overrun with liquor stores and don’t want a return to that.
“There’s a future for this,” Ward 1 Councilman David Cerven said. “We’ll wait for Shawn (Faulkingham) to come back — voted against it last time. Since then he’s kind of got a better understanding of it. There’s support for it. We just have to make sure everything’s being done the right way.”
For it to be brought back to the table a council member who voted against it needs to reintroduce it, which needs to be seconded by another member who voted against. Four yes votes are needed to pass.
Is that guy Pregnant?
No, but you’re obviously a jerk.
Mayor White needs to go.
vote out the mayor
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