A downtown San Luis Obispo brewery will be allowed to continue operating under its late-night entertainment permit, despite complaints from neighbors and recent code violations.
The city’s zoning hearing officer voted Monday to let Libertine Brewing Company maintain its expanded permit, following more than an hour of public comment at a packed hearing.
Libertine, located at 1234 Broad Street, opened in 2015 as a restaurant and brewpub. Over the years, the city approved modifications allowing late-night alcohol service, live entertainment and ticketed events. The business is now permitted to operate until 2 a.m. on weekends.
The permit was referred for review after police responded to multiple noise complaints and city code enforcement officials found violations–including use of a temporary stage before final building permits were updated.
Some nearby residents said the expansion of late-night entertainment has disrupted the surrounding neighborhood.
Chris Bissa, who said he and his partner bought a nearby home about two years ago, told city officials they have spent more than $70,000 to soundproof their house.
“We have been forced to replace all of our windows and doors in our house with sound resistant glass and fill the walls with soundproof insulation,” Bissa said. “All at the personal expense of over $70,000 and we still hear the noise.”
Bissa continued to say that Libertine started as “a simple brewpub” several years ago, but has since changed after obtaining permits for alcohol, live music and late-night hours. He added that the building, a former auto garage, was not designed for live music and has not been adequately soundproofed.
Meanwhile, city staff say that previous violations have since been corrected.
Under the hearing officer’s final decision, Libertine must continue to comply with the city’s noise ordinance and maintain proper crowd management. The permit may be reviewed again if additional violations occur.
