Council approves zoning amendment for performing arts centers on Pine Street, removes Queen City Park Road allowance

The City Council on April 14 adopted an amendment to the zoning code affecting performing arts centers in the South End, removing a Queen City Park Road allowance and lifting a fixed footprint cap on Pine Street centers while keeping the use subject to conditional review.

Charles Dillard of the Office of City Planning explained the background: PlanBTV South End supports arts uses and the prior zoning allowed performing arts centers on Pine Street (5,000 square feet) and on Queen City Park Road (15,000 square feet). The amendment adopted by the council removes performing arts centers as a permitted option on Queen City Park Road (to protect industrial/enterprise land) and eliminates the fixed footprint cap on Pine Street while keeping performing arts centers as a conditional use. Planning staff and the planning commission supported the change.

Council discussion focused on whether to make performing arts centers a permitted use (no conditional review) or keep them conditional. Several councilors said the conditional use review process is appropriate because it allows the Development Review Board to apply noise, transportation, parking and other site‑specific standards. Councilor McKnight said she would not be comfortable making the use permitted without more public process. The council voted to adopt the ordinance as amended by the prior ordinance committee and the planning commission recommendation.

The amendment does not identify a specific project site; proponents of a specific center (Higher Ground) had requested consideration of permitting the use, but the council left that question for the ordinance committee and the permitting/DRB process. The amendment will guide future site selection and requires that any specific performing arts center proceed through conditional use standards, which address impacts such as noise, circulation and parking.