By Don Urquhart, Times Chronicle
After nearly 30 years of operating a family coffee business from Oliver’s Bellevue Drive neighbourhood, boutique coffee brand, Wolf Tree Coffee Co. may be forced to move, one that will likely see the homegrown business leave town.
Speaking to the Times Chronicle, co-owners Mercedes Secor and her fiancé Leigh Laugheed said they don’t want to move from their current tiny operation at 6597 Bellevue Drive but faced with a choice of spending over $30,000 for a temporary fix may leave them with little choice but to move.
With few affordable options for leasing space for what is essentially a part-time venture for the pair, they may be forced to find another location, likely not within the town of Oliver.
“We’re not supposed to do processing here, and the nuisance odour is obviously bothering some people,” Secor said, having become aware that it was an issue after the town’s bylaw officer paid them a visit last Oct.
She says the town escalated it in a letter from a “you either need to get rid of the smell 100 per cent and stay here, but this process is gonna cost you $30,000 for the machine, $1,000 for the application to even ask for the extension, or move.”
She says that even with the purchase of the “afterburner” equipment to remove the smell it would only be a business license extension of up to three years because of the residential zoning of the neighbourhood. “So it wouldn’t even be permanent so there’s no point in spending extra money,” she observes.
“At first we didn’t take it seriously. We were just like, ‘Oh, it’s a warning’ because we’ve never gotten any other complaints. It’s not like we’re constantly getting these, but then it just kind of happened really quickly,” Secor says.
The successful growing business operates only on a part-time basis and has low overheads as the house is owned by the couple and they have no staff. Last year Secor says they sold over 3,600 kg of roasted beans.
If they are forced to move then this may give them an opportunity to expand given the demand they are seeing for their product. Unfortunately, it would mean the loss of a unique business that helps round out Oliver’s unique offering.
Wolf Tree Coffee photo
The issue has percolated to the surface as a result of a formal complaint being received by the town in Sept. 2024 over the “strong odour” being emitted from the coffee roasting process at the property at 6597 Bellevue Drive in Oliver.
Anderson in his report to council in early December noted: “Upon further investigation, it was discovered that the Town has received similar complaints over the past year about the coffee roasting odour.”
He went on to say that the town has received complaints from “multiple residents in the vicinity of the property”. In conversations with other homeowners in the area, Anderson said the odour has been observed along the full extent of Bellevue Drive, Mountainview Drive and even to residents along Meadows Drive depending on weather conditions.
“The odour from coffee roasting is much different than the odour of coffee brewing,” he added.
And while the odour is one thing, it’s the fact the property is zoned residential (RS1) which allows for home occupation with some limited business operations is what the town has seized upon.
Particularly vexing for the Wolftree duo, however, is the fact the business has been operating since 2017 in that exact location and with the same roaster and process with a business license from the town.
In his report to council, Anderson acknowledged that a business license had been issued nearly eight years ago but “at that time the town wasn’t fully understanding of the issues that come with the processing of coffee beans including the nuisance caused by the odour”.
The two also point to the well-established principle of “grandfathering” which in this case could see the granting of the previous business licenses grandfathered to the current situation.
Even more galling is the fact that Laugheed’s parents, who originally established the Wolftree Coffee brand along with his siblings, had been running a part-time coffee business, including roasting, in the garage of the house next door and then in the current location for nearly 30 years, since the early 1990s.
“Home occupation” specifies that not more than 40 per cent of the premises can be used for a business with the bylaw also specifying that manufacturing is not allowed under the home occupation designation. Manufacturing, Anderson says, includes processing, “as coffee roasting is the processing of coffee beans is not permitted as a home occupation under the zoning bylaw.”
He went on to say that the bylaws covering home occupation and home industry designations also “prohibit the causing of a public offence or nuisance of any kind”.
The Change.org petition for a fair compromise for Wolf Tree Coffee is nearing the goal of 1,000 signatures.
Anderson said he reached out to the business owners in Nov. 2024 to discuss possible options which included extending their business license to March 21, 2025 to enable them to use up current stocks and seek out a new location.
A second option was to apply for a Temporary Use Permit (TUP) that would include a commitment to purchase and install afterburner technology that would help reduce the odour. This could be a period of one to three years at the current location depending on council approval.
Notably, all options presented came with the requirement to seek out a new location with the correct zoning.
Councillor Petra Veintimilla expressed her support for the administration’s recommendation of a license extension saying: “Whether the license that was issued was issued originally in error, or whether it was issued without fully understanding the nature of the business, either way they a business license was issued. And so it seems reasonable, it’s completely reasonable to me, that we would give them a bit of time to sort out what the next steps are.”
In the end council voted to approve the Wolf Tree owners’ application for a business license extension to May 11, 2025 to enable them to use up existing inventory and find a new location.
In response to Times Chronicle queries, Anderson said: “It is fair to say that everyone in the Town of Oliver would like to see Wolf Tree Coffee continue to grow their business in our community.
“The owners could continue to sell their processed coffee from the current location under the Home Occupation classification so long as they don’t use more than 40 per cent of their residence for the business.
“The coffee roasting will need to be moved to a properly zoned location after their business licence expires on May 31, 2025. Hopefully, some of the passionate residents who posted online can help the owner find a suitable location,” Anderson added.
That community passion has seen numerous social media posts and a Change.org petition created by local businessman Sid Ruhland of Firehouse Brewery which at the time of writing had garnered over 900 signatures.
In it, Ruhland notes the challenges a small business faces by such a sudden relocation. “This relocation forced upon Wolf Tree Coffee is more than just a challenge, it’s a threat to the livelihood of their family, and negative for its stakeholders, which includes local businesses, local schools through fundraising collaborations, foreign workers through ethical practices, and users of the environment thanks to their sustainability efforts.”
He notes that while it is reasonable for the municipality to take neighbourhood complaints into account, and to enforce by-laws, “it is not reasonable to order a small business to overhaul its business model and make significant investment within a brief timeframe.”
The petition continues: “We request the authorities and concerned neighbours to arrive at a compromise solution that protects both the interests of the local residents and Wolf Tree Coffee Company. It’s time for a creative, thoughtful approach rather than an ultimatum.”
While the Wolf Tree coffee team can’t quite fathom how all of this suddenly came to a potentially screeching halt, the pair are upbeat and optimistic, preferring to see this as a possible opportunity rather than a setback.
“We’re disappointed, but in the end, I think that it might actually be an opportunity for growth, and it’s nice to see how many people are behind us.”
In their letter to council the Wolf Tree owners expressed their connection to the community. “Wolf Tree Coffee is a huge part of the community and (we think) adds beautifully to the tapestry that is Oliver.” As Secor notes, “not every town has a roastery,” something that draws tourists every season she says.
The company is also very active in fundraising and community events. “We support students, veterans, and athletes,” and they recently started sponsoring a coffee cart at Oliver Elementary School to help raise money for various student programs. Secor says the cart teaches kids how to run a small cafe, selling coffee at the school to grateful staff while raising money for the school at the same time.
“It would be heartbreaking to have to now cut them off,” she says.
“It saddens us that someone’s complaint is enough to run businesses out of town. With so many other hurdles to overcome with owning a small business, we weren’t expecting the town that we love and support to be the ones to kick us out.”
The Change.org petition can be found here.
