Seminole County planning panel recommends liquor-license upgrade for Tehran Hookah Lounge with noise limits

The Seminole County Plan and Zoning Commission on May 7 voted to recommend that the Board of County Commissioners approve a special exception allowing Tehran Hookah Lounge to upgrade from a 2-COP beer-and-wine license to a 4-COP liquor license for on-site consumption, provided conditions including a seating cap of 84, an outdoor patio closure at 10 p.m., a ban on amplified outdoor sound and a volume regulator on indoor and outdoor music.

Hillary Peyton, planner for Seminole County, told the panel that the lounge — located on roughly 4 acres at the southwest corner of Aloma Avenue and Deep Lake Road in the Deep Lake planned development and occupying about 2,000 square feet — was granted a beer-and-wine license in 2019 but must obtain a special exception to sell liquor because county land‑use rules treat incidental alcohol sales differently from on-site alcohol establishments. Peyton said staff found the application met the special-exception criteria and recommended approval with conditions stated in the draft development order; staff also noted the applicant held a community meeting on April 3, 2025 and that the county had received one letter of support and three letters of opposition.

The recommendation includes capping seating at 84 (62 seats inside and 22 on the outdoor patio), closing the outdoor patio at 10 p.m. nightly and prohibiting amplified sound or outdoor entertainment. At the meeting, a planning commissioner moved to add a requirement for a volume regulator on both outdoor and indoor music; the motion passed on a voice vote. The commission’s action is a recommendation to the Board of County Commissioners; final approval rests with that board.

A nearby resident, Emily Elliott of 8586 Falstaff Place, spoke in opposition during public comment. "I've had to call the Seminole County Sheriff's Office on numerous occasions for noise ordinance nuisance issues," Elliott said, adding that the business’s late hours "draw into the area" activity she described as a detriment to a family-oriented neighborhood and a potential increase in calls for police and fire response. Elliott also raised concerns about impaired drivers at the intersection of Deep Lake Road and County Road 426 (Aloma Avenue).

Denise Morrill, working with the lounge owners, said the applicant agreed to the staff conditions and offered additional mitigations discussed at their community meeting, including installing a volume regulator and soundproofing and limiting music on some weeknights. "We're okay with closing the patio, and we don't mind capping the amount of seats to the required amount," Morrill said. She also said the lounge admits patrons 21 and older.

Commissioners and staff emphasized the limits of the commission’s role. Chair Mike Lorenz said the panel’s review concerns consistency with zoning and land‑use rules; enforcement of noise complaints remains with the sheriff’s office and, if applicable, the county commission in its regulatory role. Peyton confirmed that the volume-regulator proposal was not part of the staff’s draft development order but could be added as an additional condition by motion.

The commission made a formal recommendation that the Board of County Commissioners approve the special exception with the staff conditions and the added volume-regulator requirement. The motion passed by voice vote with no recorded opposing votes. The item will move to the Board of County Commissioners for final action under the county’s development-order process.