The David Bowie song “Five Years” imagines the world with only five years before some sort of apocalypse ends it all. In that context, five years is a short amount of time.
The Springs Brewery has been in front of East Hampton Town planning, zoning, and architectural review boards for five years, trying to get the nod for a proposed brewery at 847 Springs-Fireplace Road. For them, five years must feel like an eternity.
“You’ve been at this a long time,” acknowledged Chip Rae, the chairman of the A.R.B., before his board was unanimous in giving its final approval last week.
Their consent allows Gunnar Burke and Lindsay Reichart, the duo behind the beer, to apply for a building permit. (They’re “very close” to a final approval from the Suffolk County Department of Health Services, but that won’t delay the building permit application.)
Mr. Burke, a professional architect, also designed the space.
The have needed the town’s blessing to convert the 2,717-square-foot building from an auto body shop into a brewery and retail store, where beer tastings are proposed.
They also endured a slowdown last summer, when a building inspector ruled the tasting room would be a bar. In October, Richard Normoyle, the town’s chief building inspector, on the job for only a few weeks, overruled that decision, instead determining that beer-tasting was a secondary, not a primary, use of the space.
“The interior layout will consist of 12 cafe-style seats intended for relaxed, conversational visits while sampling products and making retail purchases,” reads a tasting room operations narrative submitted by the brewery.
The Aug. 13 A.R.B. meeting was short, and rather anticlimactic. Peter Bickford, a board member, took everyone through a brief history. For 35 years, Ms. Reichart’s father operated the building, the footprint of which will not change, as Hampton Auto Collision. The two garage doors will remain, but one will essentially become a gigantic window with a door.
“That’s to bring light into the brewery,” said Mr. Bickford.
Over the front door, a new round sign, painted indigo blue, will read “Springs Brewery.” Two large windows will be added on either side of the door. The sides of the building aren’t going to change.
“It’s nice,” said Mr. Bickford. The metal siding will be painted a light gray and the doors and window trim will be dark green.
“Is it going to be a pub?” asked Dianne Benson, a board member.
“Not a bar. It’s not being classified as a tavern,” said Mr. Bickford.
“It’s a nice addition to the neighborhood,” said Mr. Rae.
“You’re already brewing somewhere else?” asked Chris Britton, the vice chair.
Mr. Burke said yes, they currently brew their beer in Riverhead.
“That’s not good for Springs Brewery,” said Mr. Britton, to laughter, just before the vote. “We gotta change that.”
As to when they may open, Mr. Burke said in an email that there is no timeline at present.
