Midland Planning and Zoning Commission approves alcohol permits, zone change and multiple plats

The Midland Planning and Zoning Commission approved a slate of land-use requests at its meeting, voting unanimously on specific-use alcohol permits, a zone change to allow a restaurant, and preliminary plats for new development.

Staff presented each item in turn and commissioners voted 5-0 on each motion. Applications approved included a bookstore seeking an on-premises alcohol designation, a large event venue seeking alcohol service, a bar that will return to service under new conditions, a zone change from light industrial to commercial for a proposed restaurant, and three preliminary plats for a church site, a gas station and a nine-lot residential subdivision.

Why it matters: The approvals clear the way for new and expanding businesses that will sell alcohol on site, allow a restaurant to open in an area formerly zoned light industrial, and advance several property plats that will enable future development and redevelopment across multiple districts in Midland.

Bookstore alcohol permit (Item 4) Staff presented a specific-use designation application from Megan Dixon to allow the sale of all alcoholic beverages for on-premises consumption in a 1,500-square-foot portion of a storefront at 200 Spring Park Drive. Staff said the proposed service area would be 50 square feet and that no churches, schools or public grounds were within the 300-foot notification radius. Staff recommended approval with conditions (conditions not specified in the record).

Megan Dixon, identified as a part owner of Main Squeeze Midland, told the commission the business is a romance-focused bookstore that also sells other genres and intends to offer "wine and sodas and a place to sit and build community for specifically females in the area." Commissioner Garza moved to approve; Commissioner Richardson seconded. The motion passed 5-0.

Special-event venue alcohol permit (Item 5) Staff presented a specific-use designation for a special-event center at 3201 Elkins Road (venue at Live Oaks) submitted by applicant Steve Jeter. Staff reported the property has roughly 62,234 square feet and that the alcohol serviceable area would be about 57,549 square feet. Proposed hours were Sunday–Thursday 10 a.m.–12 a.m. and Friday–Saturday 10 a.m.–2 a.m. Staff said they had…