City planning staff presented a proposed zoning text amendment to the council that would allow restaurants serving alcohol to operate by zoning permit (rather than conditional use permit) in the Colley Avenue and 20 First Street pedestrian commercial overlay (PCO) districts, provided they close by 11 p.m. Bobby Tahan said the request came from the Ghent Business Association and applies only to the small, defined overlay areas on Colley Avenue and 20 First Street.

Tahan reviewed the overlay boundaries and told council the change is intended to speed the process for restaurants to open while encouraging a concentrated, pedestrian-friendly commercial environment. He said indoor recreation is already permitted in nearby light-industrial districts and that in this limited overlay the Planning Commission found no history of violations at the listed locations; the Planning Commission recommended approval 7–0.

Council member Werner raised a question about whether entities whose prior conditional-use permits had been revoked could later take advantage of a by-right permit under the proposed language. Tahan and the city attorney will confirm whether the new text must explicitly prohibit a previously revoked CUP holder from using the by-right pathway; staff said they would review the language and, if necessary, return with revised wording to address revocations and enforcement procedures.

No council vote was held at the work session; staff said they will check the ordinance language and bring back any needed clarifications before the amendment advances.