Phillipsburg Town Council gives early support to distillery in Union Square

A Phillipsburg native came to town council tonight proposing plans for a liquor distillery that could bring new life to Union Square.

Nick Piperata asked for town council's support for his plans to manufacture Italian grappa at 11 1/2 Union Square. Piperata said he makes apple, grape and peach grappa, which is similar to rum, using local produce.

The distillery would occupy about 3,000 square feet of the building, Piperata said. He's looking for state grant money to help finance the distillery, and he has colleagues who possess skills that would cut down on the start-up costs. He hopes to open by apple harvest season, about the beginning of October, he said.

Eventually, he'd like the distillery to become a tourist destination. At other distilleries around the country, people can dine and lodge, he said.

"I'm mostly interested in revitalization of downtown and creating jobs," Piperata said.

Council unanimously voted to endorse the endeavor, without taking any other formal action to move the project forward. Council president Bernie Fey Jr. and James Stettner were absent.

Council Vice President Todd Tersigni said Piperata seemed very passionate about the distillery, and his enthusiasm is remarkable.

"We want to be business-friendly," Tersigni said after the meeting. "We support this endeavor, and we believe it will have a positive impact on the town of Phillipsburg."

Township attorney Richard Wenner said a distillery is not a permitted use with the current zoning. It was not immediately clear which town entities would need to give their approval to any zoning changes.

Wenner and the town's engineer, Stan Schrek, agreed to meet with Piperata before council's next meeting to work out the process Piperata would need to go through to get approval for the project.

Source: http://www.lehighvalleylive.com/phillipsburg/index.ssf/2013/06/phillipsburg_town_council_give.html

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