In front of supporters, Woodhouse Brewing wins outdoor music OK

After a yearlong hiatus, music will return to Woodhouse Blending & Brewing’s outdoor stage following a unanimous decision by city planning commissioners Thursday to expand the Santa Cruz brewery’s use permit. 

The new designation as a “high-risk alcohol outlet” will allow Woodhouse, previously a “low-risk alcohol outlet,” to host live music no louder than 79 decibels – about as loud as a busy city street – until 10 p.m. Senior planner Ryan Bane clarified that “high-risk” and “low-risk” refer to the level of entertainment, not the type of events, and are not a characteristic of the brewery. The list of events Woodhouse owner Will Moxham submitted includes hosting local bands, makers markets, high school fundraisers, comedy nights and cultural festivals. 

Other Santa Cruz brewery, winery and bar owners have said that live entertainment has become crucial for attracting customers in the wake of the pandemic. However, many, like Woodhouse, are hosting these live events in ad hoc outdoor spaces under temporary permits granted during 2020 and 2021, which the city has struggled to codify. Woodhouse is the first brewery post-pandemic to successfully navigate city regulations to become a legal entertainment venue. 

More than a hundred community members came to show their support for Woodhouse, including three individuals wearing custom T-shirts with the public notice for the meeting from the city on the back. Around 15 people spoke in favor of the change of use during public comment, citing Woodhouse’s multicultural, family-friendly and community-oriented ethos. 

Musician and activist Alwa Gordon lauded Woodhouse as a “space space for Black and brown people,” and urged the commissioners to support the brewery’s diversity inclusion. 

Bill Fisher, an architect whose office is directly adjacent to Woodhouse, voiced his support for outdoor events at the brewery, despite his own interest in having a quiet work space. “I think it adds a level of civilization to that neighborhood,” Fisher said. 

Woodhouse, located in an industrial area off River Street, hosted multiple live music acts a week starting in 2021. Last October, after an anonymous formal complaint, the city said Woodhouse didn’t have the proper permit to host the gatherings and ordered all entertainment to stop. However, the city did not receive any letters opposing the change of use ahead of Thursday’s meeting, and Bane said he had not had any contact with the original complainant. 

It’s unclear when the new use will go into effect, or if there are any further steps Woodhouse needs to take. The city has not told him what else he needs to do, if anything, Moxham told Lookout. The planning department did not respond to emails or phone calls requesting clarification.

Before the unanimous vote, commissioners voiced their support for the change of use. 

“I realize this ordinance is clunky,” said planning commissioner Pete Kennedy. “But I’m also thinking of all the great spots around town that evolved by breaking some rule, and then another rule, and worked through this long process. I appreciate the artists’ patience with all this government stuff. I’m fully in support of this.”

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