A public hearing on a zoning text amendment, for farms in residential areas operating farm breweries, has been continued to Thursday, Jan. 18, with the latest questions from zoning officials centering on a lack of city water or public sewer connections and the impact such an operation would have if only well water and septic are present.

Town Planner Carey Duques said members of North Branford's Planning and Zoning Commission (PZC) have added the water impact questions after the points were raised during the PZC's January 11 continuation of the public hearing for the application, which was submitted in October 2017 by Alexander DeFrancesco of DeFrancesco Farm.

As previously discussed at earlier portions of the hearing, which opened in November 2017, the farm brewery text amendment is sought in part to allow the growing of crops and sale and of storage of beer, in order to dovetail with current CT State Legislature Public Act 17-160, which allows brewing of beer under a manufacturing permit on a farm (with conditions, such as using Connecticut-grown products).

Family-owned and operated DeFrancesco Farm has been in existence since 1903 and has operated a farm market at 336 Forest Road since 1995.

Specifical language on the PZC agenda concerning DeFrancesco's application seeks a zoning text amendment to allow in residential zones, by special use permit, farm breweries to include manufacuturing and brewing, retail sales, consumption of beer, and associated tasting room and events on the premises of a compliant farm location.

The public hearing has been continued to 7 p.m. Thurs. Jan. 18 at North Branford Town Hall, 909 Foxon Road.