Journal & Topics Media Group

Possible New Arlington Heights Liquor Classifications In Works

New Licenses Would Allow For Breweries, Taprooms, Brewpubs

Many questions remain, but Arlington Heights continues to work toward creating new liquor license classifications that would allow breweries, brewpubs and taprooms to open in the village.

After the board initially discussed the idea in late February, staff returned earlier this week with definitions for the three new types of liquor licenses up for consideration. The proposed new license of a Class M license would allow for a microbrewery that produces no more than 930,000 gallons of beer annually to serve up to 48 ounces of beer to an individual customer each day in a taproom setting. Taprooms would be limited to operating from 3 to 10 p.m. Monday through Thursday; 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. Friday and Saturday; and 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Sundays.

The existing Class A and Class AA designed for restaurants and Class E licenses for retail would also be changed to accommodate brewpubs. Those businesses would be prohibited from manufacturing more than 155,000 gallons of beer annually and would be allowed to sell alcohol both for consumption on site and through retail.

In presenting the liquor code changes, staff looked for approval from village trustees on the licensing language before moving forward with the actual ordinance, which will require a lengthy plan commission process and public hearings.

Although it’s still early in the process, some divisions are already becoming apparent. Some trustees like Jim Tinaglia were in favor of allowing breweries anywhere in the village other than residential neighborhoods or near schools, while others indicated they would not be appropriate for downtown.

“I’m supportive of us having breweries and microbreweries,” Trustee John Scaletta said. “I’m not supportive of us having them downtown. That’s my position.”

“We’ve fast become an entertainment district in the downtown area and I don’t know whether or not I’m ready to foreclose that, because I think each particular project stands on its own two feet,” Trustee Thomas Glasgow responded.

Those zoning related issues are expected to be discussed during the plan commission and public hearing process, which could begin later year.

Another issue that could come up is the requirement that taprooms sell food to patrons. Arlington Heights has long held that any establishment serving alcohol should also offer some kind of food option; however, the new liquor licenses do not currently include that stipulation.

The change to allow breweries, brewpubs and taprooms would help Arlington Heights keep pace with surrounding suburbs that have welcome such businesses in recent years as craft brewing has become a growing segment of the overall beer market.

“This is a real big industry,” Glasgow said. “It’s overtaken regular pilsners and draft beers by leaps and bounds.”

The liquor code changes passed 8-1, with only Scaletta dissenting.

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