Plan Commission places Minakwa Brewing amplified-sound request on file after neighbors, staff flag proximity to homes

The Madison Plan Commission on Monday placed on file without prejudice a conditional-use request to allow amplified outdoor sound at the taproom located at 2927 East Washington Avenue, citing the site's close proximity to homes and a prior building inspection enforcement notice.

Planning staff told the commission the applicant seeks permission for amplified sound in an existing roughly 1,100-square-foot outdoor area but would not extend hours past the current 9 p.m. closing requirement. Staff recommended the application be placed on file, saying the request failed to meet conditional-use standard No. 3, which requires that “the uses, values and enjoyment of other property in the neighborhood… will not be substantially impaired or diminished.”

Chris (Planning Division) told the commission that of 78 recent outdoor-seating requests citywide, only eight had been approved for amplified outdoor sound and that the median distance to nearby residences in those approvals was 143 feet. He said…