The Signal Mountain Town Council paved the way Monday for a brewpub to open in the town by unanimously approving an ordinance that would allow such a business to operate.
The ordinance defines a brewpub as a business that operates mainly as a restaurant with food prepared and served on-site, but also serves as a facility where beer, ale or other malt beverages with an alcohol content of not more than 8% by weight are brewed for consumption both on and off premises.
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The Signal Mountain Planning Commission recommended in February that the town zoning ordinance be amended to add brewpubs as an accepted use of property in the town's highway commercial district.
Mayor Charlie Poss, who is also on the town's planning commission, said the issue surfaced when he was approached by a real estate agent whose client was interested in opening a brewery on the mountain. The agent questioned whether a brewery could legally operate at a specific location, and in looking into that, Poss discovered the town's zoning ordinance did not include brewpubs as an accepted use for property anywhere in the town.
"We decided that it would make sense to add that use just in case this person or somebody else wanted to open and operate a brewpub," Poss said in a phone interview, adding that he does not know who wanted to open the business or whether they still plan to do so.
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He said the building the real estate agent questioned him about is not the old Hummingbird Pastaria space, which Bitter Alibi owner Jason Bowers earlier told the Times Free Press he purchased with the intention to open a brewery on the mountain.
Bowers said by phone Monday he had not approached the town about the legality of opening a brewery there.
Contact Emily Crisman at ecrisman@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6508.