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P&Z gives thumbs up to Truly Wine Tasting Room

Recommends CUP for new site on Mercer
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“The facility will house offices for our business with owners of Texas wineries, and an ambient indoor/outdoor area for the public to taste and enjoy over 55 Texas wines,” Larry Epp said. 

Truly Grown Texas Wine Cellars was given a unanimous approval recommendation by the Dripping Springs Planning & Zoning Commission, advising the Dripping Spring City Council to approve a Conditional Use Permit that would allow on site sale and consumption of alcohol at a location in the Historic Mercer Street District.

Truly President Larry Epp referred to their future location at Springs Bluff Center, fronting Bluff and Mercer streets, as their “Tasting Room.”

“The facility will house offices for our business with owners of Texas wineries, and an ambient indoor/outdoor area for the public to taste and enjoy over 55 Texas wines,” Epp said. 

Construction changes will begin on the office building next month. There are plans to add a fireplace and music to create a pleasant atmosphere in their “Tasting Room,” and outdoor seating area. The commission advised Truly to keep the outside music reasonably at bay.

City staff will be considering the new structure changes to the building, as well as seating arrangements to meet parking code. Council Member John McIntosh said, “Parking will continue to be ‘catch as catch can’ until downtown parking issues are eventually resolved.”

A second aspect of Truly’s business interest in Dripping Springs, is a Texas wine internet sales, packing, and shipping operation which they wish to organize at a separate location from the “Tasting Room.” 

In March, Truly was denied approval recommendation to the City Council by P&Z for a Variance that would allow Truly to set up internet operations at 391 Sportsplex Drive, as it was deemed to be near a school. The  391 Sportsplex building is slightly less than the required 300 feet from the Walnut Springs Elementary School boundary. P&Z also recommended against a Conditional Use Permit (CUP) for the internet operations site use of the building.

At the Apr.16 DS City Council meeting, the council concurred with the P & Z recommendation of Variance denial for the 391 Sportsplex location, and also voted against it. However, following a lengthy discussion, it seemed unknown how the state exactly measures a school boundary. (For instance, a church boundary measures from door to door.)  Mayor Todd Purcell asked City Planning Director Jason Lutz to find out how the state law defines school boundary measurements. For this reason, the DS City Council voted (5-1) to postpone approval or denial of the CUP.

At this time, it is not apparent what steps Truly has taken to find an alternate warehouse for its Texas wine on-line sales project.       

Dripping Springs Century-News

P.O. Box 732
Dripping Springs, Texas 78620

Phone: (512) 858-4163
Fax: (512) 847-9054