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If ever there was a cause to drown your sorrows in a pint of craft beer, well, the permit woes of Eagle Rock Brewery is a prime one. With their conditional use permit on the line (again) the brewery could get the smackdown by City Hall next week and be forced to stop serving the very product they make.The Brewery explains their predicament on their blog:
Over a year ago, when we were first granted our Conditional Use Permit (to serve beer to the public for on-site and off-site consumption), a land-owner in the neighborhood appealed the decision, and protested our land-use request. Because of this appeal, we had to go through another public hearing to determine if the protester’s concerns were valid enough to overturn the decision and deny our Conditional Use Permit. The results of that public hearing were in our favor, and the protester’s appeal was denied. We were granted our Conditional Use Permit, but we were given an additional operating condition: After one year of operation, we would be required to come back in front of the Zoning Administrator for a “Plan Approval” to determine if we have been complying with our operating conditions, and if our land-use privileges should be revoked.
The "worst-case scenario" the Brewery faces is being made to stop serving beer in their tasting room. A better case, they say, is being allowed to use their permit and operate as-is for the next 3.5 years.
The local beer community has been supportive of the Eagle Rock Brewery, says the L.A. Times' Daily Dish. Among the enthusiasts urging people to voice their backing of the Brewery are local bloggers, like DrinkEatTravel, who posted "Ten Obvious Reasons to Support L.A.’s Eagle Rock Brewery" and Food GPS, who is urging beer lovers to "(Eagle) Rock the Vote."
The Brewery explains how the (beer-loving) public can help:
1) If you can come to the hearing to show your support, that would be great! The hearing is open to the public, so you’ll be welcome to say a few words if you choose. If not, no worries, we’d just love to see your faces and feel the moral support. 2) If you can’t come to the hearing, you can write a letter of support, call the Zoning Administration office and tell them your opinion, or post the notice for our hearing (or a link to this blog post) on your Twitter, Facebook, or Blogs and spread the word!
