Alcohol, entertainment licenses for Hayes Place renewed with midnight cutoff for live music

The Alcohol License Review Committee on a unanimous voice vote recommended renewal of alcohol and entertainment licenses for Hayes Place, located at 11405 North Sherman Avenue, and added a condition that live entertainment must cease by 12 a.m. on Fridays and Saturdays and by 10 p.m. Sunday through Thursday.

The committee’s action responded to police reports and a planning department concern that Hayes Place had previously offered live entertainment past the conditional-use-permit limits. Assistant City Attorney Amy Zillavy told the committee the separation was intended to call attention to the conditional-use-permit issue and that the city did not intend to refuse renewal: "There was never an intent to non renew this license. It was just to bring to the committee's attention, that they had been operating outside the bounds of the conditional use permit by having live entertainment after midnight."

Licensee Connie Jones, the registered agent for Hayes Place, told the committee the venue is focused on family- and adult-oriented themed events and that the business has taken steps to respond to complaints. "Safety is very important to us. That's why we hire a security firm to secure the venue during our events," Jones said, adding that she hired an additional security guard and had installed a parking-lot-facing camera. She said Hayes Place had "no noise complaints in 2025."

Captain Gary of the North District said police response to the shopping-center parking lot peaked in the summer of 2024 but that officers have recorded "very little police response for reactive calls in 2025," a result, he said, of clearer communication between property management, the licensee and police. The captain explained the district has limited overnight staffing and that disturbances at the parking lot previously required officers from other districts to assist.

Several committee members and city attorneys explained the difference between the city’s enforcement tools. Attorney Jennifer McReynolds said the plan commission retains jurisdiction over conditional-use permits, but the ALRC can add mirror conditions to the entertainment and alcohol licenses so the committee has enforcement leverage: "One thing that you could do is add conditions to the entertainment license that are the same as the CUP, and then the body has some more sort of ... ownership or control of sort of that condition."

Vice Chair Ruth Westra moved to recommend renewal of both licenses with the specific condition that live entertainment cease by midnight on Fridays and Saturdays and by 10 p.m. Sunday through Thursday; the motion was seconded and approved by unanimous consent. The committee noted the licensee may return to request condition changes at a future ALRC meeting if operations continue to improve.

The committee recorded the condition in the renewal recommendation and advised the licensee to work with the planning department on any conditional-use questions related to the CUP. The committee did not order an audit of Hayes Place’s finances.

Committee action

- Motion to recommend renewal of Hayes Place’s alcohol and entertainment licenses with the condition that live entertainment cease by 12 a.m. Friday–Saturday and 10 p.m. Sunday–Thursday. Motion by Vice Chair Ruth Westra; second recorded. Outcome: approved by unanimous consent.

What happens next

The committee’s recommendation will be transmitted to the city clerk and placed in the administrative record for renewal. The licensee may return to ALRC to request an amendment to the license conditions after a period of improved compliance or may pursue separate zoning relief through the plan commission.