Planning commission approves Tap House on Walton with nine operational conditions after neighbor complaints

The Syracuse City Planning Commission on Monday approved a major site plan review for a change of use at 294 West Jefferson Street (MISPR-25-44), allowing the space to operate as a bar under a set of nine conditions meant to address longstanding neighbor complaints about noise and building vibration.

Planning staff and commissioners said the property has a “long history of complaints” and the application was elevated from a minor to a major site plan review. Joe Gilvagno, the applicant’s agent for owner Edward Gottlieb/Pacific Properties Inc., described the proposal as a change of use from a restaurant to a bar. The commission read nine special conditions into the record and voted to approve the project with those conditions and the standard general conditions.

Those conditions — read into the record by planning staff — require: compliance with a memorandum of understanding (executed March 28, 2025); strict control of noise to avoid violation of the City of Syracuse noise ordinance (Revised General Ordinances, Chapter 40, Section 40-16); no live entertainment without a city entertainment license (including live music, DJs, karaoke and dance floors); no amplified speakers that project music outdoors and interior speaker volume controls to avoid noise-ordinance violations; alcohol sales to cease at the legal hour of 2 a.m. with premises closed by 2:30 a.m. and no entry outside permitted hours; designated security staff to monitor the exterior during operating hours after 10 p.m. and for 30 minutes after closing to address loitering and disturbances; strict adherence to approved operating hours (noted in the record as Monday–Wednesday 4 p.m.–12 a.m.; Thursday–Saturday 11 a.m.–2 a.m.; Sunday 12 p.m.–9 p.m.); a Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design (CPTED) review coordinated with the Syracuse Police Department and implementation of its recommendations; and revocation of land‑use approval for violations of the stated conditions.

Supporters and neighbors both spoke at the public hearing. Randall Hahn, who identified himself as a minority owner of the tenant operating as Tap House on Walton, said the State Liquor Authority had cleared the business and that recent changes (removal of a bass speaker and operating with playback from an iPad) had reduced calls to police. “In the last eight weeks since we signed the memorandum, we ran the same type of music off an iPad and there hasn’t been one police call for a noise ordinance,” Hahn said.

Residents who live in the Center Armory condominiums immediately above the venue described prior experience of vibration and noise that interfered with sleep and daily life. Reagan Cuddy, a resident and owner in Center Armory, said reductions in loud speaker use in November improved the situation but expressed concern that allowing an accessory entertainment use could reopen the road to live entertainment that had created problems in the past. “I would love to see these establishments succeed,” Cuddy said. “I just want to make sure that as residents our investments in our homes are still places that we can live… and that it can be done in a way we can coexist.”

Other speakers included security staff and local business owners who supported the venue and reported no recent incidents inside the bar. Daniel Ingersoll, who identified himself as a security guard at Tap House, said the venue had made changes and that recent events were primarily fundraising and community-centered. A representative from Evans Security Services said the bar has been “the safest I’ve ever worked at” and supported the application.

Planning staff emphasized the commission’s role in balancing neighborhood expectations and public safety while not precluding lawful business operation. After discussion, the commission voted to approve the major site plan review (MISPR-25-44) with the nine conditions and general conditions; the commission will prepare a resolution and the item is now conditioned on compliance with the enumerated requirements.

The applicant may apply for an entertainment license if it intends to host live events in the future; the planning conditions require a license before live entertainment can occur. The CPTED review required by the conditions must be completed with the Syracuse Police Department and relevant recommendations implemented as part of the permit process.