Jackson Free Press

Jackson County Rejects Brewery

Jackson County Board of Supervisors denied a Vancleave couple a special exemption Monday to build a brewery on their land along Antioch Road. The law requires an exemption for industrial businesses in an agricultural zone.

Paul and Wanda Blacksmith woke up Monday morning with plans to build the state's second brewery on a portion of their 15-acre property. After a public hearing in front of the Board of Supervisors, though, their plans seemed to crumble in front of them as the board voted 4-1 against awarding them a special exception to build the business on their property.

"We went in (to the public hearing) yesterday expecting for it to be a pretty simple process of, 'It was approved by the planning commission. Let's just move forward,'" Paul Blacksmith said. "It wasn't. We were extremely shocked. We are very heartbroken."

Paul Blacksmith said the local planning commission voted unanimously in April to allow them to build the brewery. He said one of his neighbors, Lisa Younghouse, gave the supervisors a written appeal to stop the brewery. The law requires the county to notify anyone who lives within 500 feet of the proposed site of any possible industrial building in an agricultural area. Blacksmith said Younghouse lives well over 600 feet from where he and his wife want to build the brewery.

The Blacksmiths planned to invest $500,000 in Crooked Letter Brewery. Paul said the brewery would create two jobs instantly and a minimum of two jobs per year over the first five years of operation. It could create up to 15 jobs by year five.

The economic impact of the brewery could stretch far beyond brewery jobs. Blacksmith estimated the company would pay about $400,000 in taxes to the state in the first five years, and another $200,000 to the federal government. He said that doesn't include retail sales and employee wages.

Blacksmith said he will talk to his lawyer to figure out their next step. They could take their case to circuit court if they want to build Crooked Letter Brewery on their land, as planned. Otherwise, they will start looking for another location.

Jackson Square Welcomes 22 New Businesses

Jackson Square Promenade, located off Terry Road in south Jackson, will welcome 22 new businesses by July 21. The additions will take the city's largest outdoor shopping center to 40 total businesses.

The new arrivals include a skating rink, a teen club, a dance studio and a shoe store. Property owner Jessie Wright said they will host a grand opening for the stores July 21. Mayor Harvey Johnson Jr. will be on hand to help welcome the new businesses.

The shopping center, built in 1968, celebrated its grand reopening April 6 for 18 new businesses. The center's current business lineup includes a hair salon, a church and a sports bar, in addition to a wide variety of retail stores.