Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Land Use topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Council to consider zoning change to require public hearings and limit liquor‑store clustering
Summary
Councilors discussed an ordinance amendment to the Unified Development Code that would change liquor‑store approvals from by‑right to special‑use (with public hearing) and impose a limit of two stores per square‑mile to reduce clustering; sponsors said the change responds to resident complaints about oversaturation.
City staff presented proposed amendments to the Unified Development Code that would make retail liquor sales a special‑use (requiring a public hearing before the MPC) rather than a by‑right use in many locations, and would cap new retail liquor outlets to two per one‑mile radius to prevent clustering.
Why it matters: Council members and staff said the changes aim to increase neighborhood input and prevent saturation of liquor outlets in vulnerable communities. Staff said the rules would not be retroactive to existing stores but would restrict future locations and require neighborhood notice and an MPC hearing; a store abandoned for 90 days could lose its status under the proposed language.
Council members debated tradeoffs. Some members said the earlier shift to by‑right authority had reduced administrative burden but also reduced neighborhood voice. Others said the square‑mile limit would have prevented some controversial approvals under the prior code and that the amendment responds to petitions and constituent complaints.
Staff cautioned the ordinance would produce contentious hearings in some cases and urged readiness for extended public hearings. The amendment was introduced for consideration and will return for formal council action at a later meeting.
