Print
EmailMpls. City Council Member's Phone Message Creates Stir
Two businessmen say they're frustrated by red tape and a City Council member's voice mail. The two men want to open a micro-brewery near 25th and Hennepin right on the edge of Uptown in Minneapolis. But, a City ordinance prohibits off-sale alcohol sales within 300-feet of school property. Jefferson Community School sits directly across the street from the vacant building where Pryes Brewing would like to open a micro-brewery and sell their beer for takeout, too.
Allan Flinn, co-owner of Pryes, tells 5 EYEWITNESS NEWS he sent an email to 10th Ward Council member, Meg Tuthill. He says he asked her to help the business by creating a variance, or changing, the city code prohibiting off-sale alcohol near a school. But, Flinn says he was surprised to hear what he thinks was a dismissive phone message from Tuthill. In the phone message, Tuthill tells Flinn that she will not help him change the ordinance, but that he is welcome to open his micro-brewery within current city code.
Tuthill tells 5 EYEWITNESS NEWS that she is sorry, if Flinn misinterpreted her message, because she was not trying to be rude. Tuthill says she talks very straightforward and did not want to give the business owners false hope that the ordinance would be changed for their micro-brewery. But, Tuthill says she is willing to meet with Flinn and his business partner to discuss options for the micro-brewery. Tuthill says she wants the micro-brewery in her ward and his hopeful they can reach agreement. She says she is even willing to help them find another location in the greater Uptown area.
|
|
