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Board grants conditional-use approval for restaurant/private club at 341 High Street
Summary
The Morgantown Board of Zoning Appeals unanimously approved a conditional-use permit for a restaurant/private club at 341 High Street, allowing an applicant already operating a nearby venue to open an upscale craft cocktail and dining establishment downtown.
The Morgantown Board of Zoning Appeals on May 21 voted unanimously to grant a conditional-use permit to convert a downtown retail space at 341 High Street into a restaurant/private club.
The applicant, Chris McDonald, told the board he is “trying to renovate a current, retail space. It was the old space of University's T shirt shop on High Street. We plan to put in a upscale craft cocktail bar and a finer dining restaurant … hoping to kind of fill a gap for a more adult oriented restaurants, options downtown.”
City planning staff described the site and applicable code. Planning staff noted the application invokes section 13 31.04 of the city planning and zoning code and said the applicant “is planning to provide 47 seats inside for food service, and then, I believe about 4 outside, for food service as well.” The staff report included a site plan showing indoor seating and a small outdoor seating area; no menu had been submitted with the application.
Board members questioned how the city enforces the ordinance requirement that a restaurant/private club maintain a food component and discussed a possible financial reporting condition to confirm that food sales remain a meaningful share of gross receipts. Planning staff said the board could impose a reporting requirement and later review operations, describing the follow-up as a planning review rather than an enforcement visit.
Mister DeWitt moved to accept the findings of fact and to grant the conditional use; Miss Cook seconded both motions. The board voted “Aye” on the findings and again on the permit, with the chair announcing the vote as unanimous.
The applicant was told he will receive written notification of the decision from the planning division in seven to 10 business days and that any decision may be appealed to the Circuit Court of Montague County within 30 days. The chair reminded the applicant that work performed during the appeals window is at the applicant’s sole financial risk.
The approval covers only the conditional use as presented; the applicant must still complete the standard permitting process (building, fire, and any required site work) before opening.
