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Council denies special‑use permit to allow alcohol sales at proposed karaoke venue after licensing questions and split vote
Summary
The City Council unanimously took up a request for a special use permit to allow alcoholic beverage sales at a karaoke venue at 2113 S. Air Depot Blvd.; the council ultimately disapproved the application after ABLE Commission concerns and split votes, with staff saying the applicant must wait six months to reapply.
The Midwest City Council on March 25 disapproved a special use permit application that would have allowed an eating establishment with alcoholic beverage sales at 2113 South Air Depot Boulevard, the proposed Star KTV karaoke venue.
Planning staff told the council the application raised several red flags during review: unpermitted work on the building, water use before a utility account was established, occupancy prior to certificate of occupancy, and inconsistent representations about the proposed operation. Staff also reported the Alcoholic Beverage Laws Enforcement (ABLE) Commission had contacted the city with concerns about the application and the identity information on the ABLE filing.
Police leadership told the council they had been contacted by the ABLE Commission and that the office was reviewing the matter. The police chief said the ABLE application had not been completed and that the commission’s concerns were under investigation.
Todd Woodell, an attorney representing Star KTV, told the council the venue is a private karaoke operation with 10–12 soundproofed rooms and that his client had invested heavily in equipment. Woodell asked the council to continue or table the matter while he resolved licensing questions with ABLE. "I would request that the application be continued until I'm able to sufficiently find out what the issues are with the ABLE Commission," Woodell said.
Councilmembers debated options including denial, tabling and approval. The governing body produced split votes during the meeting; after subsequent roll calls the council disapproved the special use permit. City staff told the applicant the denial carries a six‑month bar before a new application may be filed.
The council’s action stops the applicant from obtaining alcoholic beverage service at the location under the present application. Staff noted that even if the building houses a karaoke venue or other eating establishment, any new applicant seeking alcohol service must complete both the city special use process and state ABLE licensing and cannot rely on prior approvals for different operators.
The transcript and staff report show the Planning Commission had unanimously recommended denial and staff had received calls and an email in opposition from surrounding property owners. The council’s final administrative direction was that the applicant must work with staff to address ABLE and permitting issues before reapplying.
Clarifying details: staff documented prior unpermitted work, water usage before utilities were established and occupancy questions; ABLE Commission raised concerns and the police department identified that the ABLE application was incomplete and under investigation; the Planning Commission recommended denial; the council’s denial activates a six‑month refile restriction for this particular application per city ordinance.
