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Fenton planners add banquet facility to OT‑1 zoning as special use, approve permit for 505 Main Street (Navajo Hotel)
Summary
The commission approved a text amendment to allow banquet facilities in the OT‑1 Old Town District by special use permit, and approved a special use permit for a banquet facility at 505 Main Street (the Navajo Hotel) with conditions on parking and occupancy.
The Planning and Zoning Commission voted to amend the land‑use matrix to allow a banquet facility as a use allowed by special use permit in the OT‑1 Old Town District and, following that approval, recommended approval of a special use permit for a banquet facility at 505 Main Street (the historic Navajo Hotel), subject to conditions.
Amy, Community Development Department staff, explained that a banquet facility is defined as an establishment available for lease to private parties for events such as weddings and anniversaries; it may serve alcohol and have outdoor dining as an accessory use. Currently banquet facilities are permitted in OT‑3, C‑1 and HP‑1 districts but not in OT‑1. The proposed text amendment would permit the use in OT‑1 on a case‑by‑case basis through the special‑use process.
On the specific request for 505 Main Street, Amy said the property has 25 on‑site parking spaces and that the city’s parking requirement for a banquet facility is one space for every three people based on maximum occupancy. “So based on the 25 spaces, this site could accommodate up to 75 people,” she said. The adjacent museum lot has 10 additional spaces; staff said those could be available only if there is documented shared‑parking evidence.
The petitioner, Philip T. Perkins, said the building has been under rehabilitation since he purchased it in 2020 and that he expects typical events to be smaller than the building’s maximum occupancy (he said the building’s recorded occupancy is about 100 but that he anticipates hosting roughly 50 people for most events). Perkins said he plans to use outside caterers rather than operate a full kitchen on site.
Conditions attached to the special use permit require an occupancy permit before use, any required state or city liquor‑licensing approvals if alcohol is served, and “evidence of a shared parking agreement” for use of any off‑street parking within 300 feet for overflow. The commission voted in favor of both the text amendment and the site‑specific special use permit; both motions passed on roll call.
Ending: The commission framed the approvals as tools to support Old Town revitalization while retaining site‑specific review through the special‑use process; the petitioner must secure permits and any necessary liquor‑licensing or shared‑parking agreements before hosting larger events.
