By Mark Squibb
An application for a brewery at the site of the former church property on Cribbies Road in Petty Harbour was narrowly defeated last week after three members of council voted in favour of the application and three members voted against it.
As per legislation, a tie-vote results in a defeated motion.
Deputy Mayor Richard Raymond, councillor Ed Dyke, and councillor Irene Stack voted against the application. Councillors Agatha Balsom, Kayla Parsons, and Dave Balsom voted in favour of the motion. Mayor Ron Doyle was unavoidably absent from the meeting.
“I’m pleased, but to be honest, it was a little too close for comfort,” said Nancy Hannaford, the resident who spearheaded a campaign against the application, which including distribution of a petition that was signed by over 100 residents.
Hannaford said that while the matter has been put to bed for now, she’s concerned about what the future holds for the property, given how close the vote was.
“Residents have made our stance pretty clear — we don’t want anything of this magnitude in that area, which is a residential area,” said Hannaford.
The application has been before council in one form or another since 2023, and to prepare for the potential brewery, council approved motions to accommodate commercial use at the address and add “Microbrewery” to a list of discretional uses. Those motions paved the way for more potential business applications for the building.
Concerns raised by residents included a lack of adequate parking, increased traffic, noise, and odours, and the potential environmental impact on the area.
