Norfolk City Council ignores city planning commission, approves permits for Armed Forces Brewing Company
The Norfolk’s planning commission, working together with a local neighborhood association, attempted to derail efforts for a brewing company to obtain permits. The Armed Forces Brewing Company’s taproom and distribution facility received opposition due to remarks by one of its owners. The individual, a former U.S. Navy SEAL, is alleged to have made comments not favorable to LGBT. The opposition claimed that the general viewpoints of the owners did not reflect that of the community.
From Military.com:
The City Council bucked recommendations by the city’s planning commission and a local neighborhood association to deny the permits, while many residents said the brewery would be a terrible fit. They argued its ownership doesn’t reflect the diversity of the U.S. military, veterans or this liberal-leaning city on the Chesapeake Bay.
The brewery markets itself with politically conservative ads. Its leadership said the resistance was purely over its owners’ political views or cherry picked social media posts made by minority shareholders.
CEO Alan Beal told the council that everyone is welcome at the brewery, while its focus is “making great beer and helping veterans and their family members.”
Most of Norfolk’s City Council members said the matter was simply a land-use issue and nothing more.
“These posts do not respect the LGBTQ community, women or our Norfolk values,” Councilwoman Courtney Doyle said of promotional videos and social media posts linked to the brewery or its shareholders. “But Armed Forces Brewery has a First Amendment right to free speech just as you and I do. And these posts have not crossed the line into prohibited speech.”
The pushback to the project has mostly centered on Robert J. O’Neill, an ex-SEAL who said he was the one who fatally shot Osama bin Laden during a 2011 raid. O’Neill has a 4% stake in the brewery, sits on its board and has served as its brand ambassador. He also starred in a gunshot-filled promotional video for the company.
Military.com has additional information here.
Category: Society, Veterans in the news
You can be an owner too . For only $200.00 you can be a stockholder . They make good beer.
Your right Steve, and beer also makes a person smart, after all, it made Bud wiser…
I wouldn’t take that comment Lightly.
Sounds like a clear violation of the first amendment. That is a mega lawsuit waiting to happen. Liberals always pretend to be so surprised when it happens to them.
Concur, and I ain’t no lawer.
When Robert O’Neill left the Navy short of retirement, there was an article in the Navy Times hard copy news paper that I subscribe to about the above complaining and trying to get retirement money that he wasn’t entitled to. at the time, I didn’t like most subscribers didn’t know who he was and about what he did on the raid untill a couple of years later it came out.
He should’ve stayed in that couple of more years.
He really blew it by not staying in
Love the AI? generated photo.
Looks like the place Coal fired.
The news keeps making it about Rob O Neil and as offenssive as he has been to the a particular community it also about the brewery not engaging with the local community/neighbors and neighborhoods they are in. When the community reached out they deleted our comments. When we tried to conversate to understand they dismissed us. We gave them every oppourtunity to engage and every time, they did turned the other way refusing to talk to the community.
They are also located in a historically black neighborhood that has problems with guns and violence.And kids walk to the local middle school and highschool so there is also concern for their saftey and the amount of trucking that will occur.
There is concern with the Do not comply with the law mentallity that the owner Alan Beal has and carries. Please look at his NC record look up Lloyd Allen Beal. They have been caught several times without building permits.- not complying and have already stated they will fight the city to be able to paint a registered historic building.
I have concerns about your language skills and spelling. No wonder they wont conversate or avail themselves of the oppourtunity to engage. There’s a mentallity problem here, for certain. I award you zero points.
If what you say is true, then you shoulod base your fight on these claims instead of being a first amendment restricting bully. Fight your fight with facts, not feels. Just have someone else write it for you.
“I award you zero points.” – SFC D
Reminds me of this:
“Mr. Madison, what you just said is one of the most insanely idiotic things I have ever heard. At no point in your rambling incoherent response were you even close to anything that could be considered a rational thought. Everyone in this room is not dumber for having to listen to it. I award you no points and may God have mercy on your soul!”
That was my intent!
What better way to support veterans than with a decent job? AFBC is working toward 70% veteran employee roster. Truck driving is a decent job even if it is a bitch from time to time. I would assume some of those blacks you mention are veterans and could use a leg up with local employment.
Allen Beal is doing an outstanding job heading up this company and I am looking forward to stopping in to the tap room for a cold Special Hops
On my way to Florida this winter.
“The news keeps making it about Rob O Neil and as offenssive as he has been to the a particular community it also about the brewery not engaging with the local community/neighbors and neighborhoods they are in.”
WELL, if the “Local Community” is basically a bunch of screeching moonbats demanding they cave to their every political and ideological whim, then I’m ALL in favor of the AFBC being allowed to do as they please. You sound like the type of loony-tunes moonbat who will join in AGAINST developing in blighted neighborhoods, thus campaigning to keep them being blighted hellholes, IMO you are obviously the product of some State Indoctrination Camp aka a college or University.
Nof*ck is a progressive left/libtard urban sh*thole that’s uber-sophisticated because of federal $$$ from wall-to-wall military bases (and the Joint/NATO presence) in the area… we there all felt the movie Sharky’s Machine realistic at the time (Hot-lanta 20-odd years later wasn’t, in real life) so assess the good-old-boy network and the bull sh*t there as you will:
There’s no reason for me to engage in a battle of wits with an unarmed man (or woman or person) so I’ll go with “A picture is worth a thousand words.”
HERE….WE….GO!!!!!!!
Let’s try this out:
Droppin’ frogs!🤣
The Frog has spoken!
🐸 🐸 🐸
Confusion abounds.
The neighborhood has problems with guns and violence. But the concern is suddenly about trucking? Do not trucks already exist there? Would it be better with a higher ratio of crack dealers or truckers?
It also about the brewery not engaging with the local community/neighbors and neighborhoods they are in… engaging how? Not donating to the “correct” causes? Not giving money to the local town councilman so he can continue to drive the hood into the sewer? They are trying to run a business not a social program.
“When the community reached out they deleted our comments. When we tried to conversate to understand they dismissed us. We gave them every oppourtunity to engage and every time, they did turned the other way refusing to talk to the community.” – Deleted your comments? Please explain. They dismissed the conversating of who? “The community”? Who speaks for the whole community? Why did you say it is “us” vs “them”? Who is “us” and “them”? Who or what is this “community”? The one with the problems with guns and violence.
I’m also confused because there was brewery in the exact same spot that went under. If the community had issues with a brewing company why didn’t “the community” bring them up back then? This whole thing stinks of terrible politics and leaders wanting to keep the community economically depressed.
So?
This whole thing is more than just Rob O Neil. Thats only what the news is hitting on. They are also stating they are vetern owned – they are not. People are failing to relieze and read is that being a “shareholder” does not mean you will recieve dividends and funds from them. It is mearly a word meaning you gave your $200 for stickers and a hat. You will never recieve any funds from this company nor can you sell unless you find someone to sell too. It is crowdfunding and if you look at their SEC you will see that they have lost a ton of money nearly 2.3 million. Theres even a page that states Crowdfunding.
And what, pray tell, is a “vetern”? If there’s a page stating it is crowdfunding, where’s the problem? Still, no points.
My bet is he’s some frothing-at-the-mouth flower monkey moonbat who was “educated” at some public university, anyone wanna bet against me?
Stop and pull your head out of your ass so you can compose something we can understand.
Open Microsoft Word if you have to so spellcheck will work, then copy/paste it into here.
Thank you.
And once more:
Froggy is 2-0…he’s UNSTOPPABLE!
🐸 🐸 🐸
Damn…I completely forgot about Froggy in “Blazing Saddles!”🤣🤣🤣🤣
Not 100% veteran owned to be sure, but certainly at least part veteran owned. Their funding is specific about how it is a very high risk venture on their page requiring income declarations and all kinds of things.
Most startups are very high risk. Often the only return you see from these types of things is going to be a sample product and a T-Shirt. In this particular case, setting up shop in an anti-business, anti-jobs area, high crime area it is going to be rough sledding.
They are not an honest company. So why do the residents want to welcome a company that wont talk to them, wont set any records straight with them locally, doesnt abide by the city laws, is not honest. Alan beal in planning stated Rob O neil has very little to do with the company and removed him from the site later to put him back up as director. This was a slap the norfolk city face. This company has lied and sceemed its way here. Examples. At planning they hired Tim Beasley an actor, and Darren B big time Seal and sharholder ( on website) came to the meeting with freshly dyed purple hair and painted nails stating his gay and that the company welcomes him. While thats great Why does the company not shut down the comments left about the LBGTQ community. If they are so welcoming why do they have to market “un woke” community.Daily there are fights on threads and news articles about the woke people its so ugly. Why cant it just be a place where people can enjoy a military truibute beer. Its not they have marketed it like this and because of it people who beleive different views arent truly welcomed.Instead they allow name calling and a divide.They havent tried to make it right. If they allow the customers to attack a woke person who speaks up online what will happen inside. This company is unapolgelic and has not tried to make amends with its surroundings.
Let’s see if third time is the charm:
That whole “shall make no law” stuff is really difficult to comprehend for lawmakers to this day…if it was not written with such an affinity for legalese it might have been easier to understand….
I still love the idiots who quote “You can’t yell fire in a theater” without having a clue what that case was about….they think they’re making a great point and that’s always entertaining.
“But Armed Forces Brewery has a First Amendment right to free speech just as you and I do. And these posts have not crossed the line into prohibited speech.”
Hmm, wouldn’t this be an oxymoron? I do not see how you can defend the First Amendment and use the term prohibited speech in the same sentence.
Amen!
We posted together.
“But Armed Forces Brewery has a First Amendment right to free speech just as you and I do. And these posts have not crossed the line into prohibited speech.”
HUMMM! “prohibited speech” just where in the Constitution does it prohibit speech? And just what constitutes prohibited speech.
To the right “prohibited speech” consists of slander and libel.
To the left “prohibited speech” consists of something they disagree with.
Thanks Sailorcurt, was going to mention almost the same untill I scrolled down and saw your comment.
Ain’t “racist” when Leftists do it– was always their idea:
I love my beer with liberal tears.
Jose Lento…
For the last time, Bud Light is not beer.
Neither is Coors Light, Miller Lite, or Keystone Light. Tell me, what’s it like living with non-functional tastebuds?
Hey, Waitaminute, I consumed enough Miller Lite to keep Rusty Wallace racing for decades. It’s pretty good, as light beer goes. It’s great tasting AND less filling!
There’s no accounting for taste. Miller Lite has a soapy aftertaste to me. And, as someone who was (and still is) foul-mouthed, I know what soap tastes like. 🤣
An old classic and particularly appropriate in this most festive season:
https://youtu.be/4KjxFDGFKhk?si=Qdd5PTGNPIeRot5o
My beer consumption dropped drastically following my divorce. Very drastically. I replaced quantity with quality. A 12 pack might last a month now, it used to maybe last a Saturday afternoon.
Yes, like Ralphie in a Christmas Story, those of who know have their preferences for bar soap. Ivory hands down, with Palmolive, Lifebouy and even Lava up there. Modern (relatively by now) deoderant soaps are the worst because that additive gets in your nasal cavity and can burn (and snot) the heck out of it. Even so, Irish Spring is much better than Safeguard (which is the nastiest).
Yeah, I gotta say, Ivory soap all the way!🤣
All of these mass produced American beers tasted like carbonated, slightly hops flavored water to me after I returned from my tour in Germany.
When the dietary/biological analysis of you beer comes back “Your horse has diabetes.” it sucks.
Liberal tears are best used to lubricate AR’s and 1911’s.
I drink coffee made with liberal tears, and I’d enjoy some brew made with them as well. AS TO those bleeding-heart moonbats on the Norfolk City Council and their ilk, I’m all for them to keep running their cockholsters and showing their true colors, I just hope they don’t infest Red State America and turn it to shit like everywhere else they’ve inflicted themselves on.
I avoid Norfolk like the plague.
But if I ever do find myself there, I’ll make the most of it by stopping by and grabbing a 4-6 pack and a glass.
Was and still is a swamp.
Here’s a novel idea…Let the paying public decide how and with whom they want to spend their money…after all…that worked out very well for Butt Lite.
No clue as to what business license or tax $s would come from this business, but TPTB dodged a great big lawsuit. The City got this one right.
That ain’t the way libtards do things.
Frothing-at-the-mouth leftwing screeching flower monkeys ALWAYS howl for “free speech” as long as it’s in ideological lockstep with them, digress from it in even the least bit and it’s suddenly “hate speech” which MUST BE censored immediately!
Of course, it was always freedom of Leftist speech they meant– anything else is “racist”:
Not sure what is going on here; but if people who can’t read or write properly are opposed I am probably in favor.
Amen. If you cant express a coherent thought, then it’s not my job to proofread for you.
Coherence and logical thought are “racist” for progressives anyway, comrade!