VANCOUVER, BC – A week after Storm Brewing announced that a popular mural painted on its building more than a decade ago was being threatened with removal due to violating several bylaws, Vancouver City Council has voted unanimously to have it “be grandfathered and allowed to stay in place.”
A motion to overturn the removal order was brought forward in a council meeting yesterday by Councillor Sarah Kirby-Yung, who noted that the mural is “really beloved by locals and visitors alike.”
According to a report by The Growler BC:
The controversy started because of the city’s new patio policy, which allows craft breweries to have outdoor seating. The intention of the policy was to help the businesses, but it also meant a city inspector visited the site and noticed the 10-year-old mural.
The inspector noted the mural included images associated with the product served by Storm (beer) and the brewery’s branding (rats). It was initially installed without a permit, so a letter was sent to the brewery stating it needed to obtain the right permits. However, the brewery realized the permits wouldn’t likely be approved and that the mural would therefore be ordered painted over.
During the same meeting, councillors also voted in favour have having city staff prepare a report on how the existing mural bylaws can be modernized in order to avoid similar situations in the future.
For more details, see the full story at The Growler BC.
Source: The Growler BC
Photo: Storm Brewing