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Ghent group asks Planning Commission to study allowing restaurants to serve alcohol by right until 11 p.m.
Summary
The Ghent Business Association requested the commission initiate a text amendment to allow restaurants in parts of Ghent to sell alcohol by right if they close by 11 p.m. and do not provide entertainment; staff said the initiation would start outreach and research.
The Ghent Business Association asked the Norfolk Planning Commission to initiate a zoning text amendment that would allow restaurants in the 21st Street and Colley Avenue PCO (planned commercial overlay) areas to sell alcoholic beverages by right — without a conditional use permit — provided they close by 11 p.m. and do not host entertainment.
Planning staff said the initiation request applies only to restaurants (no entertainment) in those two corridors and would allow the department to begin public outreach and research on impacts and implementation. Staff reminded the commission that the city previously required conditional use permits for all on-premise alcohol sales after a 2022 change, and that a narrower proposal to relax the rule in 2023 (for businesses closing by 11 p.m.) had not advanced.
“This initiation just allows us to start doing the research and and going out to the public to discuss the issue,” Planning staff said. Staff emphasized the need for public outreach and for the Ghent Business Association to help with local engagement.
Commissioners and staff discussed scope questions — including whether entertainment would be covered (staff said no) and the timeline for outreach. Staff said the initiation would not itself change zoning; it would authorize the department to prepare a draft and consultation materials. Staff did not present data during the meeting on how many applications would be affected if the change were adopted, saying that research would follow initiation.
Several commissioners noted the ordinance’s recent history: an earlier 2018 rule allowed by-right sales in some cases, a 2022 rollback that returned alcohol sales citywide to conditional use status, and a 2023 attempt to ease rules to 11 p.m. that did not pass. Planning staff said the item would require substantial public outreach and stakeholder work if initiated.
No commission vote on a final ordinance was recorded; the meeting transcript shows only discussion and a request to initiate research and outreach.
