WLKY reported on July 10 that Rabbit Hole Distillery is facing resistance from residents against its expansion plans in Louisville, Kentucky. Residents issued a petition against the plans, taking issue with the demolition of two historic buildings.
The Drinks Business reported that one resident, Kevin Dohn, started a
Change.org petition in June to protect the buildings.
"The two buildings slated for demolition are a quaint solid brick shotgun house at 223A S Clay St and a three-story solid brick Italianate building at 749 E Jefferson St.," the petition read.
The outlet reported that Dohn is a professional renovator and believes the buildings date back to the Civil War.
"As a progressive designer, I'm all for modern development, but it is best done creatively incorporating historic structures, and Rabbit Hole can easily afford to do this," Dohn said according to Drinks Business. "Once these centuries-old structures are gone, they won't ever come back."
At the time of this article's publishing, the petition had 399 signatures — surpassing the minimum of 200 required for the Louisville Metro Historic Landmarks and Preservation Districts Commission to designate a structure or property a landmark. Dohn pledged to stand outside the Jefferson Street building every Monday and Tuesday to gather signatures. [caption id="attachment_77463" align="aligncenter" width="600"]
The two historic buildings that will be demolished if Rabbit Hole Distilling expands. (Photo: Kevin Dohn/Change.org)[/caption]
"I'll be with my wife Nicole and our two dachshund puppies, there will be music and lemonade, so bring the kids and grandkids and everyone can learn about this area's history," the petition read.
Yet, the demolition of historic buildings isn't the only cause for concern for local residents. WLKY reported that Rabbit Hole claimed the distillery's expansion would offer easier access for trucks to approach the distillery and cut down on ambient noise.
"But the noise, even when they just back up," resident Joyce Garner said according to WLKY. "I don't think this zoning change should be allowed. We've lost the use of our outside."
Rabbit Hole Distilling is the brainchild of Kaveh Zamanian, a former psychologist turned CEO and whiskey-maker at Rabbit Hole. The brand is critically acclaimed and has regularly received high scores at Bottle Raiders. In
June , the brand's Mizunara expression made the No. 2 spot on our best whiskeys of the month list. Rabbit Hole is owned by Pernod Ricard, which earlier this month
formed a new company , North American Distillers, signifying an emphasis on the conglomerate's American whiskey portfolio of brands like Rabbit Hole. As the bourbon boom continues and brands expand to meet global demand for brown spirits, distilleries can face pushback from their neighbors from time to time. In
May , WhistlePig fended off complaints from New York residents, including a complaint to the Environmental Protection Agency and the State Department of Environmental Conservation over concerns about whiskey fungus. The brand denied responsibility for the outbreak, but agreed to expand its cleaning radius. Another large brand,
MGP , faced backlash from residents in March over its expansion attempt. Kentucky City Commissioner Josh Ballard explained to WDRB why residents are more reluctant to support their neighboring distilleries in the following statement:
"I think communities across Kentucky are looking at the cost of the warehouses, the mold that's generated, the flammable alcohol that's stored, the wear-and-tear from the semi trucks going up and down the road... and then you look at the tax generation that will not be there in the future. It's pretty common sense for communities across Kentucky to say, 'No, we do not want your building here. We don't want to increase taxes on citizens to pay for your warehouses, which is what will happen."
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