Alchemist Update: Permits Issues Another Reason For Retail Shutdown

on Nov 23, 2013 at 11:04 AM

The Alchemist originally claimed the only reason they were shutting down the retail shop at the brewery was to be neighborly. Traffic jams and overcrowded parking lots were too much for the neighbors and brewery to handle.

VPR News is reporting that permit issues under Vermont Act 250 could be the real reason.

“Retail was specifically prohibited in the original permit,” DeSmet says. “So if they wanted to have members of the public coming there and buying things they need to amend a permit condition.”

“When we looked at the property and had talks with our landlord, he said, ‘Well sure, I have an Act 250 permit and you’re zoned for industrial and you can have retail here,'” Kimmich says. “We thought we had found the perfect situation.”

Kimmich says he didn’t realize the Act 250 permit needed to be updated until this summer. But with the growing popularity of the brewery, it made more sense to shut down retail.