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Council OKs occupancy increase for Decades Pub, expands Coppertop under conditional use permit
Summary
Council approved an occupancy increase for Decades Pub and a conditional-use expansion for Coppertop, allowing both businesses to occupy adjacent suites; Coppertop's expansion was limited to a maximum occupancy of 250 and will be subject to entertainment-license audits.
The Tuscaloosa City Council approved two downtown bar expansions: an occupancy increase for Decades Pub and Grub and a conditional-use permit allowing Coppertop to expand into adjacent tenant space.
Decades Pub representative Clifton Clark told the council the business will move into an adjoining suite and add indoor and patio seating that increases capacity by 76 patrons (36 plus a 40-person patio). The council approved the occupancy increase after a public hearing; no objections were recorded.
Coppertop applied for a conditional-use permit because it is classified as a bar/club. City staff said Coppertop’s hours of operation would remain unchanged, that the expansion would add space consistent with other recent downtown suite takeovers, and that Fire and Police departments “do not have any issues with the request.” Staff reported a proposed maximum occupancy of 250 for the expanded premises, and councilors were told that the city's entertainment-license audit at the end of the year factors into ongoing compliance.
The council moved and approved both items after public hearings; the transcript shows the votes carried without recorded opposition. Councilors and staff noted that conditional-use approvals can lead to zoning violations and business-license consequences if an operator does not comply with the permit conditions.
