Planners To Study Zoning Amendment For Microbrewery Expansion

A Cookeville brewery has requested an amendment to the city’s zoning code in order to expand.

Jig Head Brewing Company has identified property in the city’s Commercial Industrial (CI) District. Planning Director John Ward said the zoning code currently doesn’t allow microbreweries in the CI District.

“The CI district was amended to allow distribution centers, so something like Academy is a permitted use in the CI District,” Ward said. “So why wouldn’t a brewery or a winery be allowed there as well?”

The CI District currently allows taverns and nightclubs. Ward said it would be inconsistent to not allow a microbrewery to operate in that district.

“We’re going to study it more,” Ward said. “We may ask to go ahead and include full-blown breweries and wineries in the CI District. They’re only allowed in the LM (light manufacturing) and HM (heavy manufacturing).

Ward will ask the Cookeville Planning Commission to study the request when they meet Monday at 5:30 p.m. A vote likely won’t take place until February.