Kevin DittmanGreen Bay Press-Gazette
OCONTO - Courtney Sowle and her husband Garrett envisioned turning a 3-acre property bordering the Oconto River into a fun atmosphere.
Three summers in, The Yard beer garden at 116 Holtwood Way has proved not as enjoyable as they would have hoped due to repeated clashes over city regulations and filed a court case following a permitting dispute about an electrical pedestal. (That case was recently dismissed by a judge in favor of the city, and Courtney Sowle said she will appeal.)
As The Yard's liquor license is set to expire at the end of June, the Sowles have planned a closing party for the venue on Saturday, June 29, with live music, food, a trivia contest and goats available to pet.
"This is not our choice to shut this down; this is the city pulling our liquor license," Courtney said. "I would not be shutting down The Yard if the city wasn’t tying my hands."
The Yard beer garden housed a tiki bar that served drinks – some alcoholic, some not – and had a variety of games people could play, like horseshoes, volleyball, Jenga and Connect 4.
A nearby pier allowed boaters and kayakers to pull up and use the property.
"We have a ton of families that come out – our own family and friends coming out there all of the time, to play all The Yard games and hang out," Courtney said. "… The entire community has utilized it and shared a lot of the good times with us. It sucks (to be closing)."
A special council meeting on the non-renewal of their liquor license is scheduled for June 25, according to City Administrator Brittney Burruel.
Why is the city considering not renewing the license?
Burruel said the property is not zoned as a beer garden, so the Sowles need to get a conditional use permit from the city to continue operating as one.
The Sowles have not obtained a permit in any of the three years in which The Yard has operated, according to Burruel.
"We asked them to apply for one numerous times and actually their last (liquor) license was approved contingent that they would apply for a conditional use permit," Burruel said. "They said they would, they never did."
Burruel said state statutes hampered the city from pulling the liquor license mid-year, "so now that it’s time for renewal, it is kind of an easier process for us to just non-renew that license."
Will The Yard beer garden relocate?
Courtney Sowle said she is seeking a new home for the tiki bar and beer garden, but the earliest that would occur would be next summer.
She did meet with the Oconto Falls City Council about finding a spot in that city to operate.
"I prepared a presentation of what that would potentially look like, and it sounds like they kind of have a lot of work to do on their end to see if that would be feasible or not," Sowle said. "It was just a very initial presentation of kind of where I’m at and what we have built and what The Yard is and if we can find a spot for that in Oconto Falls."
The Yard Brewing Co. is next on tap
The Sowles plan to open The Yard Brewing Co. at 136 Huron Ave. in Oconto in mid-July.
The brewery won't have a taproom; it will just be for production. They plan to distribute the beer to bars, restaurants, grocery stores and gas stations around the Oconto area, with the hope to expand the distribution area.
"We plan on making some IPAs, hazy IPAs, pilsners, ales, fruited ales, sour beers, and that is kind of our start of the ones we are focusing on to begin with," Courtney said.
The Yard Brewing Co. will also develop vodka and whiskey as well, she said.
"One of the best parts about the brewery is that it’s not under city jurisdiction," Courtney said. "They don’t give me any licenses, they don’t give me any approvals, it all goes through the state and federal, so I guess my lesson would be don’t work with the city on anything. It’s not fair treatment, they benefit their friends and not anyone else."
Oconto city administrator says The Yard was mixed bag
Burruel said beer garden in Oconto had pluses and minuses during its tenure.
"I think The Yard concept is a good idea, and I think it is something that I personally would enjoy a business like that," she said. "I think it’s a good addition to the city of Oconto."
However, Burruel said the city has "seen some kickback" from other businesses in the lack of rule enforcement.
"I think their refusal to follow any ordinances or obtain any required permits has been very detrimental to the city," she said. "I think it is causing a ripple effect in other businesses and in … 'Why do we have to have a fire inspection if they don’t have to have a fire inspection? Why do we have to follow ordinances if they don’t have to follow ordinances?"
The solution, she said, it to treat everyone the same.
"If they obtain these permits that they need to obtain, then we are happy to have them here," she said.
Contact Kevin Dittman at 920-431-8416 or kdittman@gannett.com.
