The City's Zoning Hearing Officer held a public administrative hearing at City Hall on February 23, 2026 at 2:30 p.m. based on violations of the Libertine Brewing Company's minor use permit to operate with late-night service and entertainment.
As a result of the hearing, the Hearing Officer approved continuation of the Minor Use Permit, subject to minor modifications to conditions related to property improvements that have been completed, as originally recommended by staff in the staff report. No changes were made to the hours of operation or live entertainment aspects of the permit – those aspects remain the same as approved in the June 2025 permit.
More than 70 community members attended and the public comment portion of the meeting lasted for about an hour. One household spoke in person and expressed concerns about noise. Multiple speakers at the hearing were neighbors that live within several blocks of Libertine that expressed that they had no concerns with the noise, and a number of additional commenters expressed support for Libertine to keep their use permit as-is.
The hearing officer noted during the hearing that he agreed with the continuation of the use permit as recommended by staff based on the comments received prior to and at the hearing and a lack of evidence showing ongoing non-compliance with the use permit. He noted that without substantial evidence that the operating hours or entertainment is leading to violations, that he did not see a reason at this time to change them.
Original Notice:
Administrative Hearing Agenda Now Available
Post Date:02/18/2026 6:00 PM
The City's Zoning Hearing Officer will hold a public administrative hearing at City Hall on February 23, 2026 at 2:30 p.m. or later to re-review the Libertine Brewing Company's minor use permit to operate with late-night service and entertainment. The hearing agenda, detailed staff report and attachments are now available online.
The City recognizes that this situation has generated strong feelings in our community, including among neighbors, the business and its patrons, and members of the cultural arts community. We remain committed to supporting cultural arts and to maintaining a vibrant and livable downtown that balances the needs of neighbors, artists, businesses and patrons.
The Libertine's minor use permit comes with specific conditions related to operating hours, live entertainment, security, noise, and management of patron lines. The City received several noise complaints regarding the Libertine, which triggered a Code Enforcement investigation that found violations of several permit conditions. The City's Code Enforcement team issued a Notice of Violation on January 8, 2026. The City is now re-reviewing the permit because of the calls for service and violations.
It's important for the community to know that no decision has been made. Each perspective matters and the City Zoning Hearing Officer will consider comments from all parties affected before deciding whether to change, revoke or keep the permit as-is. The hearing officer will also consider both late-night service and entertainment activities and neighborhood livability.
Anyone interested in or impacted by this discussion can submit public comment for consideration by February 22, 2026 via email to Mallory Patino at mpatino@slocity.org.
