North Branford Farm Brewery Public Hearing Concludes

NORTH BRANFORD, CT – A series of public hearings on whether to allow farm breweries in town in front of the Planning and Zoning Commission have concluded.

The PZC has held hearings on an application which would include manufacturing and brewing of beer, retail sale of beer, tasting rooms and events.

The application is Alexander DeFrancesco, of DeFrancesco Farm in North Branford, who has been very active in the movement of planting hops for beer growing in Connecticut.

DeFrancesco said since the state legislature passed legislation allowing the brewing of beer under a manufacturing permit on a farm it has been his intention to do so.

DeFrancesco said he has worked with Town Planner Carey Duques on making sure his plan would work with town regulations in mind.

Zoning officials have discussed DeFranceso's plan at the November and December and January meetings.

DeFranceso said while he wants to have the beer operation and farm to table dinners at the farm, the family also wants to maintain the farm as an agriculture-based operation.

Nina Frattori, who is an event coordinator, testified she has planned events at venues like what is being proposed in other similarly zoned areas. She said some towns have placed limits on noise and timeframes.

At the January hearing, Town Planner Duques said the commission has a memo from her concerning state regulations on the regulations of waste water treatment requirements a brewery would mean. She said there are two options: a holding tank or an onsite treatment facility. Both systems would need state approval.

PZC members also discussed the need to address the hours of operation when and if a vote to approve the application is taken.

A few members of the public spoke at the January hearing. The main concerns seem to center around traffic and noise, which the zoners told the audience they would take into consideration in any vote taken on the proposal.