Board denies request to reclassify Spotlight Center as primary event center over parking concerns

The Metropolitan Board of Zoning Appeals Division 2 on Thursday denied a variance request to allow the Spotlight Center Northeast at 5060 East 60th Street to operate multiple indoor event spaces as a primary use rather than as an accessory use (case 2025UV2-006). The three board members present — Chair Craig Von Dalen, Aaron McBride and Tom Barnes — voted no; the variance was not granted.

The petitioner, represented by architect Lester R. Carver of Carver Design Studio, asked the board to treat the building's three assembly rooms as primary indoor recreation/entertainment uses so all three could be used simultaneously. Carver told the board the building has 12,000 square feet and an occupant load listed on submitted plans of 576 people for the whole facility; the three main rooms together would total 441-person capacity when used concurrently.

Staff recommended denial, saying the site’s parking supply would not meet the ordinance requirement for an event center of the proposed size. Senior planner Robert Uhlenhake told the board the petitioner’s submitted site plan shows about 109 on-site spaces and did not include certain shared spaces; by the staff’s calculation the petitioner’s occupancy would require roughly 144 spaces (1 parking space per 4 occupants based on the submitted occupant numbers). "Staff is certainly concerned that adequate off-street parking provisions would not be provided due to the amount of parking needed for the proposed use," Uhlenhake said.

Opposition came from Binford Plaza LLC, represented by attorney Yogi Snyder, and from neighborhood organizations including BRAD (Binford Redevelopment and Growth Board). Snyder said the southern parking area is not exclusively controlled by the Spotlight Center and that the surrounding retail plaza has businesses that also need those spaces. BRAD president Kevin Senninger and City-County Councilor Dan Boots (District 3) urged denial; Boots said the proposal would effectively introduce a higher-intensity C-4 use into a C-3 neighborhood-commercial area and repeated community concerns about parking, deliveries, and traffic during event hours.

Carver and the petitioners argued that the comprehensive plan and zoning context support community-oriented gathering uses and that the facility has operated as a community venue since 2019. Carver said the center provides space for nonprofits and community events and described on-site security and operating practices. The petitioners said they control 36 parking spaces directly in front of the building and have permission to use an additional 24 spaces, while opponents disputed the exclusivity of those spaces.

After hearing witnesses and staff, the board voted. Aaron McBride voted no. Craig Von Dalen voted no. Tom Barnes voted no. "The variance is not granted," the secretary announced.

Discussion points: staff calculations of required parking (approx. 144 spaces vs. 109 shown), lack of an on-site kitchen (likely reliance on caterers/food trucks that require parking), shared versus exclusive parking rights for the 36-space area north of the building, and prior code enforcement history flagged by Councilor Boots. The petition was denied; no conditions or continuance were offered by the board during the vote.

What happens next: The petitioner may revise the proposal, supply additional evidence about exclusive parking or off-site parking agreements, or pursue different uses that comply with C-3 zoning. The board did not set additional requirements or a follow-up date.