About a long block from another of his projects, the Anaheim Packing House, developer Shaheen Sadeghi is working on the latest addition to Anaheim’s rapidly growing craft beer scene.

The centerpiece of the project Sadeghi calls Leisuretown is a brewery and tasting room to be operated by San Diego-based Modern Times Beer. Also on the South Anaheim Boulevard site will be a vegan Mexican restaurant housed in a restored Craftsman home, an outdoor garden with seating and a swimming pool.

Sadeghi envisions people stopping in to read the paper with a cup of coffee – Modern Times sells that too – or grabbing a beer and a bite with friends after work, relaxing in the garden area or poolside.

Craft beer establishments in the United States are becoming more like neighborhood pubs in London, where people meet and hang out, Sadeghi said.

Visitors will also have choices such as sit-down or casual dining and a variety of seating areas, he said, adding, “We want to be that next generation of brewery.”

The brewery project is the latest to add to Anaheim’s status as “Brew City,” following Mayor Tom Tait’s 2014 initiative to attract more of the craft beer scene to town. Newer projects are moving beyond breweries and tasting rooms, adding restaurants and amenities for hanging out and being entertained. Golden Road Brewing opening this month near Angel Stadium is offering indoor and outdoor bars, an expansive beer garden and a full-service restaurant.

The Anaheim Planning Commission approved plans for Leisuretown last month over the objections of some residents who worried about noise and parking. More than half the parking will be in city-owned lots several blocks away; a trolley and electric tuk tuks – like three-wheeled golf carts – will carry patrons between parking and the brewery site.

The brewery will be housed in an existing warehouse, the full service restaurant will occupy the Craftsman home, and another existing building will be re-purposed as a take-out restaurant. Old shipping containers, which will double as places to sit or to buy T-shirts and other merchandise, will separate the garden from nearby homes.

Of the 76 parking spaces that would serve Leisuretown, 31 would be on-site and the rest would be about three or more blocks away. That raised red flags for Planning Commissioner John Armstrong, who voted against the project.

It bothered Armstrong to vote no, he said, because he likes that Modern Times is employee-owned and the craft beer concept has done well in the city. But officials have struggled to alleviate parking issues around the popular Anaheim Packing House, and Armstrong said he’s worried the same thing could happen at Leisuretown. He also said the pairing of alcohol and a swimming pool “seemed like an odd fit.”

City spokeswoman Lauren Gold said officials thought the city parking is close enough, and Sadeghi will provide transportation for employees and customers. To assuage residents’ worries, she said, the city has offered to pay the cost of permit parking for 10 years, should neighbors decide to ask for parking restrictions.

Sadeghi hopes to open Leisuretown by mid-2018.

About the project

What: Leisuretown will include a Modern Times Beer brewery and tasting room, vegan Mexican restaurant, take-out food options, outdoor garden seating and a swimming pool.

Where: 549-559 S. Anaheim Blvd., Anaheim

Who: The project is the brainchild of Shaheen Sadeghi, who also developed the Anaheim Packing House and Center Street Promenade, and the Lab and the Camp in Costa Mesa.

When: Leisuretown is expected to open in mid-2018.