Stonington — The Planning and Zoning Commission approved an application Tuesday that will amend the zoning regulations to allow microbreweries and brew pubs as a use allowed by special permit in the DB-5 and LS-5 zoning districts.   

The approval of an application by Andrew Rodgers paves the way for him to file an application for a special use permit to open a microbrewery in the Mystic Junction building at 40-44 Washington St. in Mystic.

That process will involve a public hearing.

Rodgers is the head brewer at Cottrell Brewing on Mechanic Street in Pawcatuck.

Commission Chairman John Prue said Wednesday that it was “not a stretch” to allow the uses in two zones that already permit liquor sales and restaurants.

Although Rodgers’ original application also called for allowing the uses in the M-1 manufacturing zone, Prue said the commission wanted to give that idea more thought and so did not approve the change for the M-1 zone where breweries are allowed.

The town’s Economic Development Commission, which supported Rodgers’ application, has been urging the commission to expand the uses allowed in the M-1 zone to help reuse the town’s aging mill buildings.

Prue said one of the commission’s top priorities in the new Plan of Conservation and Development is to review the uses that should be allowed in the M-1 zone.

In it’s decision, the commission also limited the production capacity of the microbreweries and brew pubs in the DB-5 and LS-5 zones to no more than 3,000 square feet.

In addition, Prue said the commission will wait two weeks before it takes public comment on a request for site plan and architectural changes to the 245-unit Masonicare congregate living project under construction.

The item was on the commission’s agenda Tuesday for administrative review, which does not require the commission to accept public comment.

Prue said the two-week period will give residents an opportunity to review the application on file in Town Hall in preparation to speak at the commission’s next meeting on Jan. 19 at 7 p.m. at Mystic Middle School.

According to a memo to the commission from Town Planner Keith Brynes, a new tower proposed by Masonicare would exceed height limits and the issue would have to be addressed before the package of changes could be approved.

In addition, he said Phase 2 construction would have to be approved separately from the square footage changes before the commission on Jan. 5.

The memo states that the architectural changes, which have been reviewed and approved by the Architectural Design Review Board, would be mostly in areas not seen by the public.

Prue said the commission wants to give residents a chance to speak because of the scale of the project.

j.wojtas@theday.com

Twitter: @joewojtas