Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Council discusses Hastings entertainment-district plan, sidewalk dining and temporary parklets
Summary
City staff introduced an entertainment-district ordinance and related downtown streetscape concepts including sidewalk dining, temporary parklets and flexible street treatments; councilors asked for more detail on boundaries, security and liability and gave informal direction to return with more information.
Chad, a city staff member, introduced an entertainment-district proposal for downtown Hastings that would let licensed downtown restaurants and bars sell alcohol in designated public “common areas” during approved street-closure events.
The proposal, Chad said, would use state statute authorizations and a local ordinance to define district boundaries, specify common areas for particular events and set security requirements for temporary liquor sales. “The idea here is to use this ordinance for a local license just to allow for a different approach to our community events,” Chad said.
The plan as presented would center on First Street and adjacent side streets, with an entertainment-district boundary that could extend from the railroad tracks on the south side of downtown north toward Second Street. Chad said only businesses adjacent to a licensed common area would be permitted to serve alcohol into that area during a closure; drinks would use a district-designated cup with a logo indicating the Hastings Entertainment District.
Council members pressed staff on…
Already have an account? Log in
Subscribe to keep reading
Unlock the rest of this article — and every article on Citizen Portal.
- Unlimited articles
- AI-powered breakdowns of topics, speakers, decisions, and budgets
- Instant alerts when your location has a new meeting
- Follow topics and more locations
- 1,000 AI Insights / month, plus AI Chat
