Plans for a whiskey distillery will not be heard by the Murfreesboro City Council until April.

At its Thursday night meeting, the City Council scheduled a public hearing for Thursday, April 5 to hear comments and concerns about the proposed Sazerac distillery on Asbury Road.

The city's governing body wanted to hold the hearing by itself because "we are expecting a turnout," Mayor Shane McFarland said during the meeting. A handful of other mitigating circumstances – because it's a rezoning notice must be set for 30 days after the motion and most of the City Council is celebrating Spring Break so getting a quorum was difficult – kept the public hearing from being scheduled in March.

The first of three votes to approve the plans will be held after the public hearing.

In the meantime, here's what you need to know about the proposed Sazerac distillery from the company itself to "whiskey mold."

Who is it?

Established in New Orleans and headquartered in Louisville, Sazerac is the nation's oldest family-owned distiller. It has operations in Louisiana, Kentucky, Tennessee, Maine, New Hampshire and California, as well as Europe and Canada.

It is the fifth largest distiller in the world and produces many brands including Barton Premium Blend, Buffalo Trace Distillery, Fireball Cinnamon Whisky, Fleischmann's Vodka, Pappy Van Winkle's Family Reserve, Southern Comfort and Tijuana Sweet Heat.

What is it?

Sazerac intends to create the Sazerac Distillery of Tennessee on nearly 55 acres on the Rick Smith property at 5295 Asbury Road.

If approved, the company will build most of its facilities on the western side of the property, away from the homes on Asbury Road. The buildings will be used to distill and age whiskey.

The main distillery will be located at the center of the site and include a visitors center. Another building, called the VIP Meeting Center, will be the closest to neighbors and will sit on the eastern banks of the existing quarry.

Plans for the site, created by SEC Inc., use natural vegetation to screen the buildings from the surrounding neighborhood.

Why here?

According to documents filed with the Murfreesboro Planning Department, the company picked this spot "because of the natural spring waters associated with the abandoned rock quarry, that is located at the heart of the property. The natural spring waters in the quarry will be utilized in the distilling process that will allow them to create a true Tennessee Whiskey."

What are some concerns?

'Whiskey mold'

With the scientific name baudoinia compniacensis, this fungus is often found near distilleries and alcohol manufacturing facilities because it feeds on airborne alcohol.

The naturally occurring fungus, which is black and velvety, has been found in abundance near many of the bourbon distilleries in Kentucky, feeding on what distillers call "the angel's share."

The whiskey-loving growth resulted in a lawsuit in Kentucky against Heaven Hill and Brown-Forman bourbon manufacturers from property owners near some of the state's largest distilleries.

The lawsuits were eventually dismissed, but not until years of legal wrangling and trips to the Kentucky Supreme Court and Federal Appeals court.

But the smell

The ethanol vapors don't just produce mold. They can also produce odors near the distillery, neighbors said.

SEC Inc. Project Manager Matt Taylor countered with an expert named Joseph Hower. Hower said, "no health risk will occur from the ethanol, no odor will carry to the surrounding neighborhoods from the ethanol, and no fire risk will occur due to the ethanol."

And the traffic

The developer will help fund the construction of a new five-lane road from the site to Florence Road to help alleviate traffic on Asbury Road. Truck traffic will be able to bypass the residential road entirely, Taylor said.

The road was already planned. The city is in the process of obtaining right-of-way from property owners and will accelerate construction if the distillery is approved.

The five-lane road will also connect to a planned interchange by extending Florence Road to I-24.

Michelle Willard is a freelance journalist who fills her days with social media marketing, politics, true crime, and taking complaints. You can complain to her on Twitter @MichWillard or by email michelle(at)murfreesborovoice.com.