Brenda Racanelli thought she’d found the perfect home when she bought a townhouse last year in Onni’s Social development on East Seventh Avenue between Main and Scotia streets.

“I was actually excited about the neighbourhood and all the amenities, the community centre, of course, the library is just around the corner,” said Racanelli, who has a toddler. “And [it’s] an artists’ area so I’d like to have that influence for my son.”

So when she learned in December that the new District development directly across the street included a proposed brewery and restaurant, she was stunned. Racanelli says Onni’s sales representative told her last February that artist studios and possibly retail would occupy the historic building in Amacon’s District development. The inclusion of artist studios made sense for the area.

“It just made so much sense that I didn’t bother to look into it further,” she said.

Now Racanelli’s considering moving. “I didn’t have that information when I purchased and I would have chosen another location,” she said. “This is not where I would have chosen to live, across the street from a brewery/restaurant… The noise, the traffic, whatever’s going to happen, is just not what I wanted and I don’t feel like developers can just do anything they want.”

Racanelli learned about the proposed brewery and restaurant when concerned neighbours pointed out a development application sign that was erected in December. The application includes 5,000 square feet of artist space, 3,190 square feet for a brewery, 3,950 square feet for a restaurant with a patio of approximately 566 square feet.

Kent Munro, the city’s assistant director of planning, said homebuyers should visit the inquiry centre at city hall to learn about zoning and long-term plans for the area they’re considering buying in before they invest.

In exchange for preserving the historic brewery storage warehouse, Amacon received approval from city council in 2008 to build denser and taller condo buildings than permitted by the zoning on the site. The city and developer agreed on the inclusion of artist space but the city’s 2008 report doesn’t mention a brewery or restaurant, and these are under review.

Munro noted a brewery and restaurant are allowed as conditional uses under the site’s light industrial zoning, so the director of planning, not city council, will make the final call.

The Cascade Company, which owns The Cascade Room, Habit, Latitude and The Union Bar, wants to operate the brewery and restaurant.

David Nicolay of Evoke International Design, which is connected to the Cascade Company, said they’re waiting for owners to fill District’s condos to hold an information meeting for neighbours in February. If approved, they’d hope to keep the restaurant open until midnight on weekdays and later on weekends. He said the city only permits patios to be open until 11 p.m.

One of Racanelli’s neighbours who was initially incensed the developers and city hadn’t provided neighbours with adequate information, felt reassured when she learned the Cascade Company was behind the application, as evidenced in emails forwarded by Racanelli to the Courier. That neighbour felt the Cascade Company understood the neighbourhood and would work with the community.

Nick Jensen, sales manager for Amacon, said the proposed restaurant would be similar to The Whip, across the street from District on East Sixth. The city will notify neighbours about the proposals after the information meeting and accept comments until a decision is made.

crossi@vancourier.com

Twitter: @Cheryl_Rossi