Planning Commission to Consider Dust Bowl’s 30,000 Square-Foot Brewery Expansion

The Turlock Planning Commission will meet Thursday to discuss a conditional use permit for Dust Bowl Brewing Company which will allow the company to expand their brewery. This will be the final decision, unless it is appealed to City Council.

Since 2009, Dust Bowl has operated a micro-brewery in a 2,100 square-foot warehouse building on Spengler Way in Turlock.

In 2010, the Commission approved Dust Bowl's public tap room which was built in Downtown Turlock at 200 West Main Street.

The location of the proposed expanded brewery will be at 3000 Fulkerth Rd. and 1501 Dianne Dr., in the Turlock Regional Industrial Park, which is zoned as Community Commercial. While the purpose of this zoning type is retail-type activities, such as restaurants, hotels, and entertainment uses, manufacturing is not necessarily permitted in this zoning type. Because the Dust Bowl project includes a variety of interactive customer-based activities, in addition to manufacturing, it is considered a hybrid, and therefore requires the conditional use permit.

As proposed, the project consists of developing approximately 5.4 acres of land for the construction, which will include, in its first phase, the construction the 30,000 square-foot primary brewery and operations building.

The building will house the brewing, bottling, storage, shipping, business offices, and retail visitor center Tasting Room with an open patio. The facility is expected to operate 24 hours per day with manufacturing, while the tasting room would be open from 9:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m.

Currently, the Dust Bowl produces approximately 4,000 barrels (124,000 gallons) of beer annually from the Spengler Way location. The new brewery could produce 17,000 barrels (527,000 gallons) annually, according to staff reports.

Dust Bowl recently expanded their Downtown tap room to include an extra patio for patrons to enjoy a beer, as well as extra restrooms.

The Turlock Planning Commission will also:

• Continue the discussion from last meeting of the rezoning of a housing development on East Tuolumne from low density residential to very low density residential.
• Recognize Commissioner Mike Brem who will step away after serving 14 years on the Planning Commission.

The meeting will be held Thursday, Nov. 6, at 6:00 p.m. at City Hall, in the Yosemite Room, at 156 S. Broadway.