HomeMy WebLinkAbout03-21-17 Public Comment - C. Eshbaugh - TapRoomI am writing to oppose the Taproom’s recent application for modification to its
conditional use permit. The City should not turn a blind eye to the reality of the
circumstances before it. In 2016, the Taproom, located at 321 E. Mendenhall opened its
doors. Some believed the establishment and its primary entrance and postal address
was intentionally designed to avoid application of the state law which would prohibit the
sale of alcohol that close to a school. When asked by the Chronicle in December about
its intent behind using the Mendenhall address, the Taproom co-owner adamantly
denied that they put the address on Mendenhall to skirt the law. He was quoted as
saying “We never changed an address.” The article goes on to say “Before his
renovation, Cade said, the space now occupied by the Taproom was two units. One may
have been addressed on Rouse, he said, but the other used the 321 E. Mendenhall
address now adopted by the taproom.” Yet now, the Taproom has changed its address
to Rouse solely and flagrantly to avoid application of the state law. (Let’s be clear this is
quite different than Hawthorne’s necessary address change which was based on its long-
planned renovation and architectural re-design of its primary entrance).
It would be a travesty if the Commissioners fail to call the Taproom’s action out for what
it is: a calculated, dishonest, mockery of the law and the City Commission’s
authority. It is indisputable that the Taproom is directly across the street from
Hawthorne. To allow the Taproom to circumvent the law with an opportune and
otherwise inexplicable address change would be to completely ignore the farce and sham
that this modification request is. Please do what’s right and deny the modification on
behalf of Bozeman children and the integrity of this city.
Cheryl Eshbaugh
8899 Sandy Creek Lane, Bozeman MT 59715