It was after 9 p.m. by the time Hillsborough County Zoning Hearing Master Steve Luce adjourned the first of two hearings of Keel & Curley Winery’s rezone request.
But, by the end of the night, Joe Keel, his family and employees all left the Hillsborough County Center astounded by the support they received.
“It was awesome,” Keel said. “It was bold support — great support.”
More than 100 residents — most donning navy T-shirts with the words, “Save the Winery and Craft Brewery,” printed on the front — packed the hearing chambers and an overflow room on the center’s 26th floor to show their support for the Plant City business. They were there to stand with the Keel family, whose winery and Two Henrys Brewing Company is under scrutiny after county officials determined the brewing portion of the business, its use of an adjacent lot for overflow parking and its event hosting were not permitted under the company’s current zoning.
The Keels maintain they were unaware they were operating outside of their zoning. Keel & Curley obtained a permit to sell beer and wine in 2006 and a separate license in 2011 to distribute beer and wine — a license that required county approval. Furthermore, before the company launched its Two Henrys brewery in 2013, co-owner Alicia Keel obtained a state-mandated brewing license, which also required a county signature stating the brewery’s property was under the appropriate zoning.
The Keels and their attorney, Judy James, filed an application March 25 to revise its zoning to include the brewery, beer sales, event hosting and parking.
THE REQUEST
The winery’s problems began last November, when a neighboring resident, William Woodall, filed a noise complaint with the county regarding the business’ live music. Upon investigating that complaint, code enforcement officials discovered the un-permitted uses. But, that was after Keel & Curley spent hundreds of thousands of dollars in equipment costs to launch Two Henrys.
Keel & Curley’s opponents say the addition of the brewery has turned the once-agriculturally-based business into a night club and bar. They want the Keels to stop their beer production and consumption.
However, the Keels and James say eliminating one portion of the business would be impossible.
“The Keel property is the sum of all its uses,” James said. “No one use is a standalone use. All the family members who work there and their employees share in the responsibilities and take pride in their management of the property. They work diligently to improve their farm and, at the same time, create a destination and a market for their products.”
Moreover, they believe there is a significant difference between a wine- and beer-tasting room and a night club or bar. In their application, the Keels included several stipulations they hope will further delineate that difference. Their beer production will be limited to no more than 250,000 gallons per year, and the Keels no longer will sell beers not manufactured on the premises.
The Keels also converted their business to acoustic-only live music (no bass guitar or drums), and staff members also check levels with a decibel meter. The business also will limit its hours to 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Sundays through Thursdays, and 10 a.m. to 11 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays. Music on the outdoor deck will stop by 10 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays and by 8 p.m. Sundays.
The Keels also are limiting the scope and duration of its special events. With the exception of the three-day Tampa Bay Blueberry Festival, no festival would last for more than two days. The business proposes to limit its weddings to no more than four per month.
“We specifically included these stipulations in this application to ensure the highest level of compatibility and harmony,” James said.
To satisfy safety concerns of the use of the one-acre lot just south of the business for parking, the lot will include a vehicle-access point along Branch Forbes Road and a separate pedestrian-access point near the intersection of Branch Forbes and Thonotosassa roads. Keel & Curley also will add crosswalk paint, signs and lighting to help ensure safety, as well as a new sidewalk along the Thonotosassa to keep guests from walking in the street.
“My clients have worked diligently with their neighbors and the staff to address any issues,” James said. “The proposed conditions and the amount they’ve limited themselves demonstrate their willingness to clarify their business.”
THE VOICES
The Keels came to the hearing with more than 9,500 signatures on petition supporting the rezone request. Joe Keel said of those signatures, 1,108 are from the Plant City area and another 6,951 from Hillsborough County.
Plant City residents who spoke in support of Keel & Curley included Florida State Rep. Dan Raulerson and Greater Plant City Chamber of Commerce Chairman Nate Kilton, who both championed Keel & Curley’s corporate citizenship and entrepreneurial spirit.
“One of the key elements that needs to be considered here is demand,” Raulerson said. “The success of this facility is self-evident, and that’s because there is a demand for this facility in the area. They provide jobs; they’ve been innovative; they’ve been creative.”
Kilton agreed.
“It’s of no surprise to anybody here this evening that agriculture is a significant economic engine — not just for Plant City but for all of Hillsborough County,” Kilton said. “The majority of that comes from crop production and ancillary businesses, where that produce is shipped to produce aisles across the country.
“But, Keel & Curley is different,” he said. “They set themselves apart in a positive way, because of their innovative and entrepreneurial spirit. They understand the importance of providing value-added processes to locally grown produce. They’ve coupled that with very creative agricultural tourism that brings people from far and wide into our community who may not be there, otherwise. That’s a critical model for economic development in the future and also for the sustainability of agriculture in Plant City and Hillsborough County as we continue to face ever-increasing competition on a global basis.”
Plant City resident Emily Pierce, whose daughter, Morgan, is battling cancer, spoke of Keel & Curley’s philanthropy. The business launched the Blueberry Festival Pageant in 2013, with proceeds benefiting Morgan’s medical trust fund. Earlier this year, Keel & Curley hosted the first Sweet Heart Gala to raise funds for other families battling pediatric cancer.
“We need events held at Keel & Curley Winery to be able to continue this mission,” Pierce said.
Many of Keel & Curley’s neighbors spoke both in support and in opposition of the rezone request, including Kevin and Joyce McFaul, a divided home. Kevin McFaul spoke in favor of the rezone, Joyce McFaul in opposition.
“My residence is located under 300 yards away from the store … and less than 50 feet away from the brewery and less than 100 feet away from the winery,” Kevin McFaul said. “The Keels have been good neighbors. I’ve had a couple of problems with noise over the past couple of years, and that’s been squelched, almost automatically. I tried to record for the board the noise I hear from my front porch. … Unfortunately, my sprinklers out front were louder than the noise coming from the winery.”
Conversely, Joyce McFaul said the home’s proximity to the brewery is harming her property values and quality of life.
“This has never been about ‘Save the Winery;’ this is about what they want to do with the brewery,” she said. “This is the latest trend. This is an up-and-coming business, and they are very smart business people to jump on board this trend. But, I want them to jump over in Tampa, in Ybor City, in Seminole Heights.
“I feel that (this) has lowered my property value,” Joyce McFaul said. “So, while I applaud their success, and I wish (them) nothing but continued success with the winery, I have to selfishly say the microbrewery was a step too far.”
According to Hillsborough County Property Appraiser website, the McFauls’ home actually increased in market value — from $124,547 in 2012 to $129,594 in 2013.
Ronnie Bayless, who lives about one mile from the winery, said although he enjoys the Tampa Bay Blueberry Festival, he believes the brewery is not consistent with the rural character of the Cork area.
“Non-agricultural activities that bring people, cars, noise pollution and light pollution into the area … are not wanted by the people who are just trying to live peacefully in the neighborhood they chose,” he said. “They’re (Keel & Curley) operating a bar, a retail storefront, and they’re operating a night club with music I can hear at my house almost a mile from the winery. None of these activities belong in a rural neighborhood.”
Other residents disagreed and said there is a distinct difference between Keel & Curley and a night club.
“This is not a bar; this is a gathering place,” said Joe Fabel. “My mother is 72 years old, I have a 25-year-old son and three small grandkids, and I take them there. I wouldn’t take them to a bar; I wouldn’t take them to a place I wasn’t comfortable with. The Keels are wonderful owners. They do everything possible within the guidelines to be good neighbors, and I think it would be a total travesty if we turn this (rezone request) down.”
Michael Trauner, whose family operated the popular Branch Ranch Dining Room less than one-half mile from Keel & Curley, also spoke in support of the business.
“The winery has been a great addition to our neighborhood,” he said. “It’s just the kind of business that other communities would like to have. These kind of businesses grow out of the vision and drive of the founding member. Thriving family businesses of this kind are rare. Keel & Curley deserves our full support as (it) grows and branches out — especially in light of the difficult economic times that everyone in the public and private sectors have experienced over the last seven or eight years.
“My family has been around this neighborhood for a while,” Trauner said. “We’ve owned the Branch Ranch property for 158 years, since 1856. It’s fair to say we’ve seen people come and go in all of those years. The Keel family, and Keel and Winery, has my family’s full support as our neighbor.”
Keel & Curley Vice President of Operations Ryan Keel said the brewery is an extension of the business’ long history of innovation. The business originally started in 1981, as a landscape plant grower but converted to a blueberry farm in 1997.
“As entrepreneurs, we are always looking at how we need to evolve to stay ahead of the curve,” he said. “We started growing blackberries and peaches last year and built a craft brewery in October 2013. The one common theme we’ve kept throughout the years is producing and selling products made from our land — whether it is landscape plants, blueberries, wine or beer. Please help us keep agriculture growing strong in Hillsborough County.”
THE FUTURE
At the zoning master hearing, Hillsborough County Planner Michelle Heinrich said county transportation staff believes the rezone request will have minimal impact on the surrounding roads. Moreover, Planning Commission staff determined the request is consistent with the county Comprehensive Plan, and Development Services found the project compatible with the surrounding development, she said.
Luce will make his recommendation by July 16. The Hillsborough County Commission, which ultimately will decide the fate of Keel & Curley’s rezone request, is scheduled to hear the item at its Lane Use Meeting, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tuesday, Aug. 12, at the County Center, 601 E. Kennedy Blvd., Tampa.
Contact Michael Eng at meng@plantcityobserver.com.