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Plan Commission approves nightclub conditional use for 406 North Francis Street with garage-door restriction
Summary
The Madison Plan Commission granted a conditional use to allow a nightclub at 406 North Francis Street (Chase Bar) and added a condition that the front garage door must remain closed after midnight during live music; changes to that condition may be handled later as a minor alteration by staff with alder endorsement.
The Madison Plan Commission on March 17 approved a conditional use for a nightclub at 406 North Francis Street (Chase Bar) in the Urban Mixed‑Use (UMX) district, adding a condition that the establishment’s front garage door must be closed after midnight during live music. The commission voted to allow an administrative minor‑alteration process for future changes to that door‑closure requirement.
Planning staff introduced the item as Legistar 87143. Chris (planning staff) told commissioners the business is already operating at the address but is seeking conversion of its use to one described in zoning as a nightclub. He noted there are residential buildings immediately north of the site and across the street and cited recent approvals in downtown Madison that included conditions limiting propping exterior doors to reduce indoor noise spilling outside. “The pedestrian person door to the outdoors shall not be propped open during business hours, and the overhead door facing northeast shall be closed at midnight nightly,” Chris said when describing prior examples.
Registrant Jay Wanserski, identified in the record as the person representing the business, said he has invested in an overhead garage door to make the space attractive for live music and outdoor‑feeling events and asked why the city would condition live performances on having doors closed. “I didn’t understand having the garage door closed for this event or any event that I would schedule,” Wanserski said, adding that he often keeps doors open for airflow and that adjacent bars use propped doors or jukeboxes on warm days.
Commissioners discussed options that would balance the applicant’s desire to operate with live performers and the proximity of nearby residences. Commissioner Heck moved to approve the conditional use subject to the staff report conditions plus a new condition that the garage door remain closed at midnight when there is live music and that changes to that condition could be handled as a minor alteration by staff following a recommendation from the district alder. Commissioner Solheim seconded the motion.
Chair Ghanam called for a final check for discussion and, seeing none, recorded the motion as passed unanimously.
Why it matters: The added condition narrows when the garage door is allowed to be open during live music and creates a pathway for the owner to request administrative adjustments later, rather than requiring a return to the full commission for every change.
What happens next: The conditional‑use approval takes effect as recorded in the permit process. The new condition permits the director of the planning division to consider a minor alteration to hours that the garage door may be open after receiving a recommendation from the district alder.
