It might be reassuring for those involved in the recent trials and tribulations of a local brewer who has waged a serious campaign to update town and state regulations in order to open a microbrewery in Chestertown, to know that conflicts over beer in small communities go back centuries.
One of the first known cases was in 1355, when two Oxford students insulted the community by complaining about the quality of the local lager. Things got a bit out of hand, and, by the end of the what was to be called the St. Scholastica Day riot, 63 academics and 30 townies had given their lives for their particular point of view.
While this statistical victory of town over gown might give certain college faculty a moment of pause before uttering negative opinions about things local, the central point with this case, and certainly with the town’s current challenge with Chester River Brewing Company, is that the whole issue of beer is universally very near and dear to a community.
If there is a considerable amount of passion, and sometimes harsh language found in the Spy comment section as well, regarding recent zoning decisions on the Chester River Brewing’s proposal, it is because almost everyone in town, as well as many living elsewhere, desperately wants a microbrewery for Chestertown. And the fact that the town lacks one is very disappointing for most, and just a tad bit embarrassing for others.
This feeling is compounded by the fact that Washington College, in its wonderfully quirky way, has produced some of the best brewmasters and beer executives in the United States today, from such highly-regarded breweries as 16 Mile, Fordham, Evolution, Dogfish, and New Belgium.
In short, the town longs for a microbrewery in the worst possible way, and with that comes a disproportionately high level of frustration and finger pointing when it came so close to getting one last week and failed.
In the recent case, Kevin Shertz, a local architect and award-winning brewmaster has spent a considerable amount of time and effort to develop a workable business model for a brewery for Chestertown. After years of conferences, lobbying for state law changes, data collection, and financial modelling, Mr. Shertz concluded that the best chance for a brewery to be sustainable was to have it located in the Chestertown Business Park, just off High Street Extension.
In order to make this possible, Chestertown zoning ordinances and regulations needed to be amended to permit such a business to exist. He therefore asked the Town Council for support in late October.
To the credit of the Town Council and the town manager, Mr. Shertz’s request received an exceptionally speedy response – a testament to how popular this amenity would be for Chestertown and the town’s renewed desire to support local entrepreneurs. Within weeks, the Planning and Zoning Commission, as well as Town Council itself, had discussed the ordinance changes and had formally responded to his request.
It was unfortunate, however, after all this extraordinary support and encouragement, that the town’s changes still did not meet Mr. Shertz’s criteria for the use of the building.
While The town’s Planning and Zoning Commission confirmed that a microbrewery located in the Chestertown Business Park could indeed house a brewery, as well as have a tasting room and a retail licence to sell beer to visitors, it could not accommodate Mr. Shertz’s more significant wish that onsite consumption for beer be set at 4,000 barrels per year. As correctly noted by commission chair Chris Cerino, this condition would have made the brewery, in essence, a bar.
In the end, the Town made the right, if painful, call. The concept that Mr. Shertz envisioned would have added extraordinary burdens on the nearby tenants and the town.
It also seems that such an enterprise, given the kind of product sold, and its potential to help renewal efforts in downtown or in north Chestertown, is far better for the community to be located in commercial zones that exist now and might benefit from a microbrewery as Mr. Shertz has envisioned it.
Mr. Shertz has taken to Facebook to outline his disappointment at the Town’s decision. It is understandable that this recent chapter would be particularly disheartening to him given the kind of intensive work he has done on the project. Nonetheless, it is hoped that he also recognizes the kind of support he has received from the greater Chestertown community for his efforts. He should not retreat from his vision due to this setback. There are many other options to explore before giving up.
Fletcher R. Hall says
This sounds like the same old song when it comes to any enlighted, foward thinking decisions made by Chestertown officials.
Sounds to me the project should be turned over to Washongton College. With their alumni track record they would have ” General Washington” brewing in no time.
Ed Plaisance says
I find your observation that “…it could not accommodate Mr. Shertz’s more significant wish that on onsite consumption for beer be set at 4,000 barrels per year.” a bit misleading.
From earlier commentaries in Chestertown Spy, I understood Mr Shertz’s “wish” was that the town council accept the State’s already existing definition of a microbrewery, which allows that amount of production.
Further re “As correctly noted by commission chair Chris Cerino, this condition would have made the brewery, in essence, a bar.” Where is the line drawn relative to microbrewery production that separates “bar” from “non-bar”? Is the production/selling of 50 barrels a “non-bar”?
Moreover, what is the problem with a “bar”?
Re “In the end, the Town made the right, if painful, call. The concept that Mr. Shertz envisioned would have added extraordinary burdens on the nearby tenants and the town.” it would be enlightening to know what these “extraordinary burdens” are.
While I agree that it would be so much better if a location in the downtown area were to be available, why would these perceived burdens in the Chestertown Business Park area NOT be burdens downtown?
While I seriously doubt that Mr Shertz could produce 4000 barrels of beer from the get-go, and since the critical issue seems to revolve around 4000 barrels, I thought it would be interesting to do a little arithmetic, so I went to https://www.kegworld.com/draughtbeerissues.htm to get some numbers.
If Mr Shertz were to produce and sell 4000 barrels of beer per year, that would be 380 12 ounce glasses of beer with a 1/2-inch head per barrel. Multiply by 4000, you get 1,520,000 glasses per year. Divide by 365, you get 4164 glasses per day…that would be a fantastic amount to market…assuming each customer drank 4 glasses, you would need 1000 customers per day every day of the year.
Also, assuming a middling price of $3.00 per glass, that would be $4,560,000 in gross sales. On top of that, 9% alcohol tax = $410,400. Chestertown, Kent County, and the State of Maryland should love this man.
Of course, it ain’t gonna happen.
Bob Kramer says
Ed, EXACTLY!!! The math seems to elude some people. I guess they’re wine drinkers. 🙂
Jack Offett says
The impact? What business wants a bunch of drunks running around the neighborhood at night. It requires businesses to re-think security and will divert limited town police resources to an otherwise low traffic area outside the work day.
The problem with Mr. Shertz’s plan was not that he needed a place to brew a sufficient quantity of beer to market and have a sustainable business, but rather enough to have a cool place to hang out and drink your home brew with your friends.
That sort of business should be located near other businesses that do that.
If Mr. Shertz wants to become a legitimate brewer with a tasting room for tourists who come tour the factory, then the town has created that opportunity as well, although the tasting room is not a place where “last call” is part of the closing process. Once you have visited breweries and their tasting room you will understand.
The fact remains even vacant ground without current prospect for development in the old town is too expensive to support a legitimate brewery operation.
Joe Diamond says
Ed,
You hit it! Someone has to drink the stuff in a manner that is compatible with established ABC laws. For example if you double the number of glasses to eight you only need 500 customers. If you raise the price to four or five dollars a glass the numbers look better. But you need clientele who would be glad to spend that kind of money….and you end up with a bunch of drunks.
Then you have to work a food operation into the mix to produce the microbrewery operation longed for downtown. AS you say, it ain’t gonna happen. I think the best to be expected is a Chester River Brewery somewhere in an industrial park. If you want to order a glass with a meal it will arrive by truck from elsewhere like all the other brands on the menu.
Next case = HISTORICAL SOCIETY APPROVES DEMOLITION OF HISTORICAL BUILDINGS TO
MAKE WAY FOR CHESTERTOWN PARKING GARAGE.
Chestertown, MD Today approval was given for a high rise parking garage to support the
Chester River Brew Pub parking expansion. Several old structures will be demolished so
construction can begin. In a surprise vote . . .
Won’t happen,
Joe
Carol Schroeder says
Dear Joe,
After reading Steve Frohock’s correction of your use of the term Historical Society in your comments about the Garfield’s new marquee I had hoped you would look into the difference between the Historic Commission, which approves or disapproves of architectural issues in the Historic District of Chestertown, and the Historic Society of Kent County whose mission is to preserve Kent County’s history. We do this through regular events of an educational nature in both the Geddes-Piper House and the Bordley History Center at the corner of High and Cross Streets. We also have regular publications and a much-used genealogical and history library.
I am a board member and a retired librarian who is active in cataloging items for our online catalog which you may access at http://www.kentcountyhistory.org. There you will see all of our other activities. We are not related at all to the Historic Commission.
We invite you to stop by either of our two locations and get to know us.
Joe Diamond says
Carol,
You are correct & I didn’t mean nothin by it.
Upon review I do find the the CHD to be the group of silly buggers I meant to describe several times over the years. They are like HOAs with too much power. I see their suggestion to avoid using architectural details from earlier periods in an attempt to make newer buildings appear older…….I a town full of churches and banks sporting columns from the high point of Greece and Rome. Even the post office looks like an ancient temple. All this is in a mix of painted ladies, upgraded bowling alleys and smoke houses. I suspect their problem is attempting to make structures and their owners conform to a period from 1706 to 1939 (not 1940).
Your group, on the other hand, is a group of serious scholars. I read almost every word on your site and took a look at some of the links. You have presented a readable historical narrative within which the area can be viewed. I especially admired the care with which your writers clearly stated the degree of certainty they had about various details. Historical characters and events are treated with the same scientific detachment that presents the best facts available without preaching or advancing any specific interpretation. This is my understanding of what the study of history should be.
So I am sorry for any offense I may have posted regarding your organization.
Regarding the CHD…………….your satellite dish rule is illegal…read the federal OTARD laws. Your parking meters are not colonial and need Cool Hand Luke soon. You should be ashamed for fining little old ladies who use plastic screens and windows. Since you are the group who suggested Walmart put plastic shakes on their buildings like tle Pizza Hut I continue to chortle. This place will never be Williamsburg!
Joe
Kevin Shertz says
I would recommend everyone take the time to listen to an interview I did on WCTR on Monday the 19th of November for a direct account of what my issues with the Chestertown legislation were, why the business park deal fell apart, and what the real current status of the project is. It’s about 26 minutes long, but if you care about this issue, I hope it’s helpful in providing some context.
https://www.wctr.com/interviews.html
Ed Plaisance is 100% correct — I never requested the ability to sell 4,000 barrels of beer on premises; I simply wanted the Town to acknowledge the State license in its ordinance and then state specifically how it wanted to deviate from those terms. Instead, the Town decided to combine another class of license with the State Class 7 microbrewery license, call them both a “brewpub,” and then make up an entirely new definition for the word “microbrewery” (with no correlation to the State-issued license) that gives them complete control over what it is and what it is not.
For example, in my preliminary discussions with Bill Ingersoll, he told me he felt my tasting room was “too large” relative to the size of the overall space. Apparently I should be required to remove existing partition locations if they are somehow deemed unacceptable — and this is but one of the many facets of this project that the Town would be able to wield complete authority over if it so chose. No thanks… I’m not going to play games.
Keith Thompson says
Kevin, thanks for coming on the air to share your side of the story. As someone whose knowledge of breweries or brewpubs is based solely on my visits to them as a gigging musician, my chat with you gave me a much better understanding of the hurdles a microbrewer has to jump just to open a business.
It seems to me that the town really wasn’t interested in having a microbrewery as defined by the state and wanted something else entirely. I think it is certainly within the prerogative of the town to be upfront about this, take that position, and let the chips fall where they may. Instead, what I think has happened here is that this particular microbrewery ordinance wasn’t really about trying to approve the microbrewery business for Chestertown, but was simply about attempting to save face over what was becoming a PR problem. The fact that something like this got introduced and passed so uncharacteristically quickly seems to me that this was a PR decision by the town and not one driven by economic development.
Ed Plaisance says
Kevin…I downloaded the WCTR interview. It was very enlightening, especially the 3 categories enumerated by the State.
I can only say that as a newcomer (5 years) to Chestertown, I am very sad that the Town would not find a way to make this work. Having seen so many doors close on High Street since we arrived, I would think the Town would be bending over backwards to make projects such as yours become a reality.
When we travel around the Eastern Shore, one of the reasons we go to St Michaels is for the brewery (also the winery), have a chat with Ace and his wife over a couple of flights and popcorn…and then we stroll through the town and spend more money in the town. Same with Dogfish in Rehoboth.
How simple can the equation be?
Chestertown just doesn’t seem to want to get it.
Karen Smith says
Let’s face it, the town is living in the dark ages and wants to keep it that way. The greatest “burden” will be the increased taxes its citizens have to pay when downtown becomes a ghost town and there is little to no revenue being generated because every attempt at entrepreneurship and ‘helping’ the town survive is turned down.
eliott bruce says
having help put a brokerage deal for a brewey in industrial park called “Flying Fish” now very successful .The testing room was used for group affairs ,rotary meetings ect .They marketed to out side stores, bars. out side vender brought in food.What you are talking about is a brewpup and that may not be right place to sell beer on tap I can see where buyer can do a tasting they have to buy six pack.If think realy want to do this i could introduce you to FLying fish ,think they were lawyers. Also would be glad to put you together with owner building in Galena ,that is builder great spot for this.Owner developer can fit up as sportsman brew pub. Maybe cn get owner to sell in his store Mollies +rick at gas station plus his store would sell Kittyoffer on tap.There is a hidden silver mill in galena so call beer “Galena silver”plus they could supply great wings-jumbo burgers-70 inch hd tv for football night and sundays.Be glade to introduce you to banks and or sba504 loans. no charge just free wings.Hunting guns keep at door but dogs are allowed in.