With amendments to the municipal code, National City hopes to become San Diego’s next big community for craft beer culture.
The National City Chamber of Commerce said Wednesday the city council had approved a “Craft Beer Ordinance” that amends the municipal code to allow small breweries and tasting room by-right in mixed-use and industrial zones. Previously, local breweries and tasting rooms would have to go through a conditional use permit process to open their businesses, which added many months to the project timeline, as well as more expenses.
The National City Planning Commission recommended the city policy be changed, with hopes of attracting more tasting rooms and craft brewers to the community in the South Bay.
“The passage of a new craft beer ordinance is a huge victory for National City and the South Bay craft beer movement,” councilmember Alejandra Sotelo-Solis said in a press release.
National City, located just 10 minutes from downtown San Diego, is trying to cement its status as a regional multi-cultural destination. Developers who understand the community’s vibe are essential to this process and tapping into the micro-brewing scene is important as the National City continues to grow.
“It’s not just a matter of building a sector of the economy that can really help the city,” said Jacqueline Reynoso, CEO of the Chamber of Commerce. “It’s a matter of continuing to build a city that attracts the creative energy and optimism of young professionals and lets them know they have an important stake in the city’s future.
The Chamber hopes for similar economic success with craft breweries seen in other communities like Chula Vista and Vista, including the creation of new jobs in the beer industry.
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This past October, the National City Chamber hosted Bayside Brews & Spirits, the community’s first bi-national independent craft beer festival, fueling the ongoing mission to embrace beer culture.
Right now, popular craft beer spots in National City include Machete Beer House on Highland Avenue and Embarcadero Brewing and Supply on W. 26th Street.
Machete's Twitter account says the beer bar is joining "the movement" in National City and uses the hashtag #southbayuprising.
