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Madison panel approves nightclub conditional use at 406 N. Francis with midnight rule for garage door
Summary
The Madison Plan Commission approved a conditional use for Chase Bar at 406 North Francis Street to operate as a nightclub, adding a condition that the front garage door may remain open before midnight but must be closed at midnight during live music; changes to that condition can be handled through a minor alteration process.
The Madison Plan Commission on March 17 approved a conditional use to allow a nightclub at 406 North Francis Street (Chase Bar), adding a condition that the establishment’s front garage door may remain open prior to midnight but must be closed at midnight during live musical performances. The commission recorded the motion as passed unanimously.
The conditional-use request was introduced by planning staff and described as a change of use for a currently operating establishment that would include live music. Chris, planning staff, said the application “is currently operating in that location, but they have proposed to operate a nightclub,” and noted residential buildings immediately north and across the street.
The applicant, registrant Jay Wanserski, told the commission he invested heavily in the venue and asked why the city would require doors to be closed when weather is good. “Why would I close my doors if it’s nice?” he asked, describing an investment of “about hundreds of thousands of dollars” in renovations and saying the garage door is part of the business’s outdoor appeal.
Commissioners and staff cited past approvals as precedent for limiting exterior doors during amplified or live music to protect adjacent residents. Chris summarized prior conditions used in other approvals, saying some earlier conditional uses required that doors “shall not be propped open” during business hours or be closed by a specified time at night. Planning staff recommended a condition limiting propped-open exterior doors during live performances; commissioners discussed tailoring that condition to the garage door and allowing an administrative minor alteration process for future adjustments.
Commissioner Heck moved to grant the conditional use subject to the conditions in the staff report and an added, clarified condition allowing the garage door to be open prior to midnight but requiring it be closed at midnight during live music; the motion specified that future changes to that condition may be handled via a minor alteration process. Commissioner Solheim seconded. With no objections raised during the roll call vote, the commission recorded the motion as passed unanimously.
The approval follows a public hearing at which Wanserski spoke in support of his application and answered questions about operations, door configurations and typical entertainment hours. Planning staff noted that the commission has discretion to set different limits depending on proximity to residences and that the director of the planning division could consider a minor alteration in the future after consultation with the district alder.
Votes at a glance
- Conditional use (Legistar 87143) — 406 North Francis Street: Motion to approve conditional use for a nightclub with the added condition that the garage door must be closed at midnight during live musical performances and that changes to that condition may be processed as a minor alteration. Mover: Commissioner Heck; Second: Commissioner Solheim; Outcome: approved unanimously.
- Consent agenda: Approved. Items approved on consent include Legistar 87142 (210 Bernard Pl.; demolition permit — approved); Legistar 87140 and 87141 (6702 Odana Rd.; demolition permit and conditional use for a 4-story mixed-use building — approved). Items placed on file without prejudice on consent included Legistar 87144 (1025 N. Sherman Ave.; conditional use for restaurant/nightclub) and two rezoning/preliminary-plat items related to 77 Sirloin Strip (numbers as read into the record). Commissioner Mendez recorded an abstention specific to item 2 on the consent agenda as noted in the public record.
The commission closed the item after confirming the new condition would be limited to the garage door and that other exterior doors would remain subject to the existing staff-recommended condition during live performances. The action allows administrative review for future fine-tuning if the applicant and the district alder request adjustments.
