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Blue Point seeks approval for beer garden at Patchogue brewery

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An outdoor beer garden is being planned for the eastern side of the Blue Point Brewery in Patchogue. But it needs village approvals first.

If approved, picnic tables, a new fence and a concrete bar top for beer service would be installed at the site, among other things.

The company’s goal is to unveil the garden in time for summer.

The plans went before the village Planning Board on Tuesday, but the review was adjourned until a later date because, among other reasons, board members couldn’t make out what they would be approving.

After reviewing the plans submitted to the body two months ago, members requested that Blue Point resubmit a more “traditional” and comprehendible site plan, elevations for the site and an artistic rendering to clarify the design and scope of the company’s application, which showcased limited disjointed views of the undertaking.

Carrie Shafir, the brewery’s general manager, offered verbal elaborations Tuesday on the application — and on the scope of the project.

The proposed beer garden would include 29 picnic tables, enough seating for 258, and keep the same hours of operation as the brewery.

After sunset, the space will be illuminated with market lighting Shafir said she hopes will be color changing to coordinate with changing holiday decor, depending on the time of year. She also said the beer garden would be hidden from the street view, behind a new fence.

Like the submitted plans, the scope of the Planning Board meeting also seemed out of focus, as the discussion shifted from the plans for the eastern side of the building to its appearance in the west.

Some board members expressed discontent at the state of the Blue Point property, where there are currently several outdoor storage containers.

Members of the board derided the property as “horrendous,” likened it to an “ongoing construction site” and said it “looks like a junkyard.”

Others, however, expressed the opinion that the industrial appearance is “chic” for a brewery.

Members said the board was raising their various cosmetic concerns for the betterment of the brewery, which they praised for its prominence in the village and adaptation and perseverance through the COVID-19 pandemic.

Shafir responded that the company hopes to address issues at the lot soon.

“We outgrew our warehouse space and are currently in the negotiation process of an additional warehouse space, which will eliminate the storage containers, all seven of them,” she said.

Blue Point’s beer garden application also seeks permission for the installation of a cold box and storage container, which would be encased in a blue-grey corrugated metal.

Shafir said the brewery’s plan for the fencing would match the new unit.

The design was divisive among the board members.

With little to evaluate the application beyond Shafir’s descriptions, the Planning Board asked Blue Point to submit the requested clarification at least one week before the brewery comes before the body again on May 25.

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