With the Lonestar Neighborhood Association and the city’s Zoning Commission behind them, San Antonio City Council today unanimously approved San Antonio Brewing Co. to proceed with the renovation of their 1,800-square-foot space.
San Antonio Brewing Co., headed by local owner Vera Deckard, is scheduled to open the brewpub in November at 264 E. Lachapelle. Until now, there has been no opposition to the brewpub’s future presence. In fact, many local residents see it as a much-needed addition.
Dolores Gennero, vice-president of the Lonestar Neighborhood Association says she sees this as nothing but positive for the area.
“We see this as a positive development situation and growth in the area, making it safer, more attractive to families and bringing a higher class of business and clientele to the area,” Gennero said.
“Vera presented this to us months ago. She went through all of the proper channels and kept us up to date on everything.”
A hint of opposition surfaced this week. For Ramona Rivera, a San Antonio resident who has spent the last 10 years in California and recently returned to the neighborhood, the addition of the San Antonio Brewing Co. to her part of town would bring an increase in crime, vagrants and a decrease in property value, as first reported by
WOAI.
According to Gennero, Rivera had not been seen at Lonestar Neighborhood Association meeting in a decade. At the association meeting, Rivera also expressed concerns over a bicycle shop and pizza joint in the area, as well as Second Saturday events, Dorcol Distilling and even the redevelopment of the vacant Lonestar Brewery.
Deckard advised they are pushing to open in October.
If anything, past experience reveals no conflict with the neighborhood.
"It was a breeze," Boyan Kalusevic, who opened Dorcol Distilling in 2013 with college friend Chris Mobley, said over the phone. "We didn't have that problem at all."
Kalusevic sees the opening as helping the district. They've reported no instances of violence, vagrants or parking issues, added extra lighting on their corner, have received widespread neighborhood support and no grievances have been filed against them.
“To consider a brewpub just like a bar, is like calling a winery a bar,” says Deckard, in response to Rivera's description of the brewery as a bar, adding that breweries often bring a more sophisticated clientele.
