GARDINER (AP) — A Maine couple wants to open a hard cider brewery inside an old church building in Gardiner, but first they need city approval.

David Boucher and his fiancee, Kristina Nugent, of New Harbor, have been looking to open their Lost Orchard Brewing Co. in the former Gardiner Congregational Church for months, but old zoning rules didn’t allow it.

The couple hopes they are the first business to use new zoning rules approved last month that allow for the re-purposing of older, nonresidential buildings in high density residential neighborhoods.

The Kennebec Journal (http://bit.ly/1xFc6OM ) reported that the city Planning Board is scheduled to consider the proposal on Tuesday. The City Council must also approve of the plan.

If approval is granted, the first batch of cider should be ready by September.


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