Sebastopol restaurant A&M BBQ will need to move its commercial smokers off-site after months of local complaints about poor air quality and city zoning rules.
Last Tuesday, Sebastopol city council members unanimously voted against two proposed zoning changes that included rezoning the A&M BBQ property to allow the smokers on site, or amending the city’s zoning code to allow outdoor commercial barbecues with a conditional permit.
The news comes after months of uncertainty for A&M BBQ. During a May 5 city council meeting, locals living near the restaurant told city council members that the smokers have contributed to poor air quality, which has forced them to keep their windows closed. Resident Megan Cown said that the air quality became “untenable” when the restaurant switched to larger smokers with bigger smokestacks…