Restaurants on Murray Street in Port Moody may well be a good idea but they aren't going to happen now.
PoMo Coun. Rick Glumac suggested allowing restaurants within the street's M1 light industrial zone, saying, "If done right, this could be very complementary" given the proliferation of craft breweries in the area.
"There is so much potential on Murray Street," Glumac said at Tuesday's council meeting.
His report to council noted the street could be "an eclectic combination of breweries, cafes and small restaurants that could create a unique walkable culinary and craft beer destination like no other in the Lower Mainland."
Coun. Zoe Royer offered her support, saying it could become an arts and tourism magnet similar to Granville Island in Vancouver.
Mayor Mike Clay, who voted against the motion along with councillors Meghan Lahti, Diana Dilworth and Barbara Junker, said staff are in the midst of a city-wide zoning bylaw review, which would be a more appropriate place to consider such a change, and nobody had been consulted on the proposal.
Barry Sharbo, who has represented several Murray Street business owners in an effort to turn the area into a mixed-use neighbourhood, said he was disappointed with the decision and said he would have liked to have seen more discussion on the matter.
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