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Dec. 11: Public hearing to get brew into Brew
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Dec. 11: Public hearing to get brew into Brew
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| Photo | Drew Lazor |
Brew/Ultimo Coffee opened at 1900 S. 15th Street in Newbold in May 2009, serving amazing Counter Culture coffee from proprietor Aaron Ultimo. Back then, we believed it'd be less than a month until the second half of the operation � a 500-bottle craft beer selection � got off the ground. Unsurprisingly, they hit delays, so they began shooting for June.
Tomorrow is Dec. 1, and there's still no beer inside that vintage cooler system. Why?
According to Brew owner John Longacre, who also owns South Philly Taproom and numerous other properties in the Newbold neighborhood, "one single individual resident has held up this process for 10 months." The developer says that a single near neighbor has spoken out against Brew's liquor license, and that's been enough to delay its implementation with the Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board up until now.
"Six hundred eighty-three immediate residents have signed a petition for Brew," says Longacre, characterizing the other side of the argument. "They want it to happen. ... We have councilmanic support, civic association support, community support, CDC support and [state senator] Larry Farnese support."
According Section 4-402 (b) of the state liquor code, "the board shall permit residents residing within a radius of five hundred feet of the premises to testify at the hearing." Though Longacre says the dissenting individual lives on 16th Street,� more than 600 feet from Brew, technically rendering the protest erroneous, he is still organizing a PLCB-sanctioned public hearing to allow the individual to voice concerns in an official context. The meeting is scheduled for Friday, Dec. 11 at 10 a.m., and will be held at the old Strawbridge's at 801 Market Street (entrance at Marshall's). The purpose of the meeting is to give the resident "the opportunity to show up and put out a rational explanation," explains Longacre.
The Brew team is seeking community support, particularly from Newbold residents, at the hearing. If you are interested in attending, you must submit your name to SPTR bar manager Kathryn Hague at 267-971-2698 or kathryn@southphiladelphiataproom.com. The deadline to sign up for the meeting is this coming Fri., Dec. 4.
UPDATE [01dec09]: After the publication of this post, Jim Resta, president of the Newbold Neighbors Association, contacted Meal Ticket to take issue with John Longacre's claim that he possessed "civic association support" for Brew's liquor license. While he stressed that a majority of the NNA's members are in favor of the project, he stated in an e-mail that the "Newbold Neighbors Association never weighed in on the liquor license application at Brew, so it's not accurate to say that Brew has civic association support."
Tapped for a response, Longacre produced a letter of support from Lynda O'Leary, president of the Newbold South Civic Association. Dated June 8, the letter clearly conveys the non-profit organization's support of Brew to the Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board.
it's funny that john wants support from newbold residents for this, yet he asked none of us about his planned drexel school project before getting plans drawn up and starting a website for it. just sayin. ultimo coffee rules.
i'm interested to hear about the civic association support. not saying that people in the neighborhood aren't supportive of Ultimo and Brew - they are. But don't go saying you got civic association support when you never even asked them for the support in the first place.
Thank you to the City Paper writers for sharing the information about Friday's open hearing. I personally welcome any comments or questions about Brew (or any other Newbold projects). Please feel free to contact me on my cell phone (267-304-6658) at any time to share your opinion. John Longacre
I love coffee and I love beer. Now let's bring them together!!!!
will it be cheaper than Foodery or Hawthorne's? The city needs a reasonably priced bottle shop.
I really hope that this goes through!!
I live less than 500 feet from Brew and I want to see beer on sale there. Good luck on Friday.
I can't beleive that one person can hold this project up. In a way, it's comforting to know that an individual can make a difference. But in a more specific way, this individual is most likely assuming that beer will bring nuisance, and for anyone who regularly spends $5-$10 on one premium beer, this is hardly the case. I live 4 blocks away in EPX, and can't wait to see this come to fruition. Good luck!
A letter from Newbold South means nothing as Passyunk is that group's northernmost border. Brew is 3 blocks north of Passyunk in Newbold(proper) - different neighborhood, different civic association. I am a resident and homeowner in Newbold and am for them getting their liquor license, however I question John's reasoning for not seeking support of the civic association (Newbold Neighbors Association) that represents residents in the community where his businesses are. To go to another neighborhood for a letter without approaching the local civic association is kind of a slap in the face of the people who are working to improve the quality of life in the very community he is invested in. John, if you want civic association support from the actual neighborhood we are talking about, why don't you just ask? You'd probably get the same letter of endorsement you got from Newbold South, except it would actually be relevant.
Kind of off-subject, but I think we owe John a lot for giving us something to do west of Broad Street. I mean, smelling the Melrose and watching the St. Agnes parking garage is fun and all, but we need options every now and then.
I think the new development in the Newbold neighborhood is great, and SPTR has been a part of it. Brew will continue this, and is a good thing. My only regret is that every bottle shop in town seems to charge $4-5 for a 12oz beer. Some large bottles (24 oz maybe?) are $25. I may as well just go to a bar. I love craft brews but do bottle shops REALLY have to charge that much??
[...] For the full rundown on Brew’s liquor license controversy and the overall purpose of this meeting, check out our Nov. 30 post. [...]
I have a theory on why John Longacre did not seek a letter from Newbold Neighbor's Assn: It is not *entitled* to a say in the neighborhood. With the number of signatories and level of support for his business plan, I am not convinced at all that this group and its opinion is relevant or important to this discussion here. It would be in the group's best interest to concentrate on the real problems of the neighborhood, the language and cultural barriers, the crime and trash, rather than whether or not businessman Longacre is properly quoted or whether he gave them the satisfaction of asking to be part of thier fifedom. And you *wonder* why he sought a letter from NSCA instead.....
So...what happened at the hearing?
Lew: Anecdotally, John Longacre told me that the meeting went really well. He's preparing an official statement on it. We'll have more details on what the plan is for Brew going forward very soon.
@ NativeSun - fiefdom? really? Aside from having your chronology backwards there are a few other problems. Not engaging neighbors from the beginning and instead working the political levers to get things done behind the scenes isn't a little pot calling the kettle? The problems of the neighborhood do include trash (improving) and language barriers. Crime has become much less of an issue here in the last 3 years thanks to the hard work of a lot of individuals who make up. . . oh, yeah, the civic association. If people like you were around, living here AND working on those problems, you'd also know that the issues are just as big on the zoning front. The corner stores and takeout places are where most of the drug retailing in the neighborhood takes place. The rubber stamp zoning changes and license issues that continue to happen are part and parcel of the problem. Saying that someone shouldn't have to do what everyone else does because "he's a good guy" is about as old school philly politics as it gets. Fiefdom is just a tad ironic. You are right in one regard. Brew has already demonstrated that it has neighborhood support. I signed their petition too. So, civic association or not, why not start with a petition? Why not follow it up with a public meeting? Why wait til 5 or 6 months after you went out of the neighborhood for a letter?
[...] An official hearing addressing the up-in-the-air liquor license of Newbold’s Brew (1900 S. 15th St.) took place more than a month ago, and owner John Longacre tells Meal Ticket the meeting went well, with many individuals expressing support for the license. (For all the details on why the bottle shop/coffeehouse, a co-venture with uberbarista Aaron Ultimo, still cannot legally dispense the good stuff, read this. It’s kind of a long story.) [...]
Foodery and Hawthornes is expensive.. i hope this place is cheaper... I usually go down to Veritas Wine and spirits in Delaware to load up on good beer.
[...] on Jan. 30. Well, that didn’t happen � even though everything is in order with Brew’s neighborhood approval, the PLCB has requested they submit a signed document stating Brew’s official hours of [...]
[...] stocking stuff this Friday, but won’t be at full strength until the following weekend. Head here and here to revisit this saga of sagas. Brew has its liquor license! We repeat, BREW HAS ITS [...]
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