Opening a microbrewery or body-modification parlour in Winnipeg could soon involve jumping through fewer hoops.

The city is considering a series of changes to its land-use rules as part of annual review of what's officially known as the Winnipeg Zoning Bylaw.

One of those changes would modernize city rules regarding breweries, which are only allowed in industrial areas right now. A report to council's property committee suggests this is problematic for the city's nascent craft-brewing industry.

"This may create a problem, as some craft breweries may be more sought after in commercial areas, where there are restaurants, drinking establishments and other like uses," Winnipeg chief planner Braden Smith writes in the report.

He recommends coming up with new rules for craft breweries, as well as a separate change that would allow microbreweries, wineries and distilleries to sell their wares to other restaurants, bars and wholesalers.

"We recognize the brewpub world is changing and there's an interface with the public at a commercial level and we want to recognize that," Smith said in an interview.

Another proposed change to city land-use rules would be the elimination of a public-hearing requirement for tattoo and body-piercing parlours.

Currently, what are formally known as "body-modification establishments" can not be set up without a public hearing. Smith said they are very rarely rejected at these hearings and ought to be considered a permitted use in most commercial areas.

"They're not unlike barber shops and nail salons, really," he said.

These changes are part of a package of proposed zoning-bylaw amendments that will be presented to council's property committee on Tuesday morning. Pending committee approval, city planners will hold a series of public consultations about the changes before they come back before council.

Committee chair John Orlikow (River Heights-Fort Garry) said he believes the changes should be made for both the body-modification shops and microbreweries.

He said he's especially eager to modernize the rules governing craft breweries.

"Our whole bylaws are silent on 'em. So they don't really kind of fit anywhere properly, so it's trying to make them fit properly," Orlikow said of the bylaw-review exercise.

Winnipeg's current package of land-use rules was approved by council in 2006.



