Sidney’s Beacon Brewing has received approval from the town to operate a food truck in the public parking spaces in front of their Third Street location for six evenings this year.
Council approved the request on Monday (Feb. 13), but an amendment was made rejecting an additional request from the brewery to operate a food truck in the afternoon of Oct. 21, the brewery’s anniversary. Council did approve the brewery’s request to operate a food truck between the hours of 5 p.m. and 9 p.m. on that date, as well as March 17, June 30, a yet-to-be-determined Saturday in August, Sept. 1, and Dec. 31.
Each date lines up with a holiday weekend, and the request follows the brewery’s first food truck night in December 2022, which staff told council in their report seemed to have been a success with few complaints or concerns from residents making their way into town hall.
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Council approved the request by a vote of 6-1, with only Coun. Chad Rintoul opposed. Rintoul said during discussion he had concerns approving the request would put council on a “slippery slope” where other businesses in the community may start making similar requests of council.
The amendment made by council to reject the afternoon food truck times on Oct. 21 passed by slim 4-3 vote. Those who supported the amendment said in discussion they did so over concerns about the impact having several of the already limited street parking spaces in the area taken up by a food truck during peak shopping hours, while those who opposed the amendment argued the impact of loosing those spaces for just one day of the year was unlikely to be of any significance.
Brewery co-owner Steven Hardy said he and the team are thrilled the request was approved, and they are thankful to the Town of Sidney for the support.
“It’s great to have a start with the six days we asked for. To get something like this going is great for Sidney and for us,” said Hardy. “When we originally opened this place, we went down to Portland to see how the breweries there were operating, and that’s what the scene is down there – food trucks and breweries – so that was what we wanted originally.”
Hardy said the plan is to have different food trucks on each occasion, and should the food truck nights prove successful, their plan is to renew the request next year.
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@JSamanski
justin.samanski-langille@goldstreamgazette.com
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