By Brandi Makuski

The Stevens Point Plan Commission has a heavy docket to consider on Monday, including expansion of one downtown business and the opening of a new micro-winery in a currently vacant location.

Guu’s on Main is considering an expansion to the rear of the business located at 1140 Main Street. If approved by the city, the service area could be expanded into a 25′ x 50′ patio area, jutting out slightly into the new municipal parking lot #16. That parking lot surrounds the new Mid-State Technical College building and neighbors the downtown Shopko.

According to Community Development Director Michael Ostrowski, Guu’s is already unique in that it currently has a small service area on Main Street itself, and the expansion into the rear of the business would only increase the appeal in the downtown area.

Two new apartments with a total of six bedrooms are also slated to be constructed in existing space above Guu’s, provided the Commission approves the request.

Mayor Andrew Halverson said one possible addition to the downtown area would be a “destination location” for locals and tourists alike.

A new micro-winery called Sunset Point Winery LLC could open in the Point Bakery Building, 1201 Water Street, offering wines made onsite for sale as well as a tasting room and related merchandise.

Plans are already in the works for a new downtown micro-winery. (stevenspoint.com)

The winery is owned by Don and Kelly Guay, who already operate a hobby winery from their Sunny Crest Drive home in Stevens Point. If the new location is approved, the couple plans to install seven 250 gallon steel tanks at the new location for wine making in larger batches.

The business would operate under a 2- year conditional use permit and will be required to gain permission from the city’s Historic Preservation/Design Review Committee before making any exterior improvements. The new business would also force a minor change in the city’s zoning code, which currently only permits alcoholic production facilities in a M-1 manufacturing district.

“A lot of communities now are looking at allowing small- scale alcohol production facilities; micro-breweries, micro-pubs, micro-wineries, that sort of thing, within their entertainment districts,” Ostrowski said, adding the Commission would be asked to make an amendment to the zoning code to accommodate the business.

“We’d be looking at making a change to allow small- scale alcohol production facilities within a business- class zoning district, as opposed to just a manufacturing district. This (micro-winery) will be very small and enclosed within the building, with a maximum of 10,000 square feet,” he said.

He said the area is seeing an uptick in small-scale breweries over the past several years, including Plover’s Great Northern Distilling and O’so Brewery & Taphouse, as well as Central Waters in Amherst.

The City Plan Commission meets Monday, June 2 at 6 PM in the Lincoln Center, 1519 Water Street. The public is welcome.