THAT the following comments be forwarded to the Liquor and Cannabis Regulation Branch (LCRB) regarding Liquor Licence Referral Application R0000416 for property located at 1055 Camp Road:
1. Council has considered the following:
(a) the location of the establishment (1055 Camp Road) and impacts on the surrounding neighbourhood.
(b) the current business operating hours are:
11:00 AM to 7:30 PM Monday through Sunday (as per advertised hours)
2. Council’s comments on the prescribed criteria are as follows:
(a) Location: the location of the establishment is within the agriculture (A1) zone, adjacent to similar agricultural uses, as well as rural residential.
(b) Hours of liquor service and person capacity: The current liquor service hours for Gray Monk Estate Winery are 10:00AM to 12:00AM Monday through Saturday and 11:00AM to 12:00 AM on Sundays.
The current person capacity for the restaurant and sundeck is 65 people.
The proposed person capacity for the restaurant and sundeck is for 200 people.
(c) Noise: no noise complaints have been received by the District regarding Gray Monk Estate Winery; additional impacts are expected to be minimal on the neighboring properties.
(d) Impact on community: increasing person capacity for the designated area (restaurant and sun deck) is anticipated to enhance agri-tourism through the provision of special events such as fundraisers or private occasions and possibly stimulating economic activity for local businesses with minimal impacts on the neighbouring properties.
3. District of Lake Country gathered the views of residents regarding this application.
(a) Views were gathered via the following methods:
- The views of residents were solicited by letters to the surrounding property owners and tenants within a 100-metre buffer area, signage on the subject property, and advertisement in the local newspaper for two consecutive weeks on September 25th and October 2nd, 2025.
- Community members had an opportunity to provide comments at the regular Council meeting of October 7, 2025.
- The District requested public input during a consultation process, and a summary of the feedback was received by Council at the Regular Council Meeting of October 7, 2025.
4. Council recommends the issuance of the structural changes (person capacity increase) for the following reasons:
(a) Council believes the proposed change will have a positive impact on the community by providing flexibility in space and liquor service capacity for Gray Monk Estate Winery to host special events that support agri-tourism and community engagement.
(b) Council believes that increasing the capacity to 200 persons is appropriate given the surrounding land uses, and minimal potential impacts on traffic and noise for the surrounding area.
(c) Council recognizes the value of agri-tourism and is not concerned that an increase in capacity may alter the character of the area.