Plan commission recommends zoning changes to allow bars and live performance venues in downtown Clayton

The Clayton Plan Commission on Jan. 6 recommended that the Board of Aldermen consider text amendments to Chapter 405 (zoning) and Chapter 600 (alcoholic beverages) to permit bars, entertainment venues and live-performance venues in the city’s High-Density Commercial (HDC) district and to repeal the existing Entertainment Overlay.

Anna, the city planner presenting the proposal, said the change responds to the comprehensive plan’s recommendation to update liquor-license regulations to allow bars in downtown and to reduce regulatory conflicts between base zoning and overlays. The staff draft would repeal the Entertainment Overlay District but preserve or relocate many of its performance- and noise‑control requirements into Chapter 405. Bars and live-performance venues would be added as conditional uses in the HDC, subject to conditional-use permit review with specific standards for noise-abatement plans, seating layouts and capacity.…