Rapid City panels deny Robbinsdale Entertainment Center requests for outdoor music and liquor expansion over parking, noise and safety concerns

The Rapid City Zoning Board of Adjustment and Planning Commission on May 22 denied a pair of applications from Robbinsdale Entertainment Center seeking to host weekly outdoor music with on‑sale liquor, citing insufficient legally secured parking and concerns about noise, traffic and public safety.

City planner Cassie (Community Development) told the boards the applicant proposed outdoor music events every Thursday from 6:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. beginning June 5 through August 8 in a fenced area of the parking lot at 803 E. Saint Patrick Street. "They will be limited the capacity of these events to 300 people total on the property," Cassie said. She said the proposal would require additional parking beyond what the property currently provides.

Why it matters: Staff and the police said the site cannot demonstrate the legally enforceable off‑site parking the code requires, and that amplified live music adjacent to nearby houses poses a likely noise nuisance and enforcement burden. Both reviewing bodies concluded the public‑safety and neighborhood impacts outweighed the applicant’s mitigation measures.

What was proposed and what staff found - Proposal: use about 6,934 square feet of the west parking area for outdoor music, enclosed each week by 4‑foot temporary safety fencing; require wristbands for all patrons; cap total people on the property at 300; close the bowling alley and salon on event nights to reduce demand. - Parking: Cassie summarized the code calculation: the property’s existing uses require 75 parking spaces and currently there are 77 spaces on site. The outdoor events triggered an additional requirement. "The outdoor music events that they're proposing to bring in require an additional 73 parking spaces based on code," Cassie said, and staff concluded the property would remain deficient even accounting for the two uses closing on event nights. - Off‑site parking: the applicant provided late letters from Boyd's Drug Mart, Heil Mechanical and Redeeming Grace Church offering use of spaces, but Cassie and planning staff said those arrangements are not recorded shared‑parking agreements and would not meet the city’s requirement that the city be a party to recorded agreements when counting them toward minimum parking. - Police: Lieutenant McCoy said the department "is not here to say that we're in favor or opposition" but raised operational concerns including the need for a security and alcohol plan, the department’s likely staffing needs for an outdoor alcohol event, and expected noise and parking complaints. "It would be very difficult to keep that number at 300," McCoy said.

Applicant response Owner Gwen Fuelling said the center has experience hosting large gatherings and that the business is proposing a cap of 300 and on‑site wristbands and staff to direct parking. "We are limiting the number of people that we even want there. I don't want 500 people there. We are limiting it to 300," Fuelling said, adding that the applicant would ask patrons to use identified off‑site lots and move employees' cars to other lots to free spaces.

Board deliberations and actions - Zoning Board of Adjustment (variance to reduce required parking): Commissioner Eric Hykes moved to deny the variance; Karen seconded. After discussion about parking sufficiency, pedestrian safety along the arterial street and noise, the board voted to deny. The record notes that Commissioner Alicia and the chair voted against denial; remaining votes were recorded as in favor. Staff had recommended denial. - Planning Commission (major amendment to expand on‑sale liquor outdoors): commissioners reiterated the parking and noise concerns and noted the variance denial. Commissioners also discussed the option of a limited temporary use or a scaled pilot, but concluded the application before them lacked the legally required parking and adequate mitigation. The commission denied the major amendment; the applicant may revise the plan and pursue recorded shared‑parking agreements or a different site or seek appellate review at the City Council.

What remains open: staff and police encouraged the applicant to pursue legally recorded shared‑parking agreements, to perform sound tests and to work with the police on an alcohol and security plan if they wish to return with a revised proposal. The planning staff reminded the applicant that temporary use permits for day‑use events require separate submittal and that a future application would still need to meet parking and safety standards.

Ending: The denials do not prohibit future proposals. Planning staff and police suggested smaller or trial events, sound monitoring, and recorded parking agreements as possible steps for the applicant to consider before returning to the boards.