The Jenks Planning Commission on Thursday voted to table a request for a specific-use permit for an event venue at 110 East Main Street after commissioners and nearby business owners raised concerns about parking and likely occupant loads.

City Planner Marce Hilton described the application as an event/assembly use adjacent to an already-approved office use at the address. Hilton said the building-inspections department estimated maximum occupancies for non-fixed seating of about 160 in the front area and 50 in the rear, but she recommended approval only with a parking plan because downtown parking had been the subject of recent city incentives to attract restaurants. "I was concerned about parking and felt like in order to be successful, they probably needed to have some type of a shared parking agreement," Hilton said.

Applicant Angie McFadden told the commission she expects much smaller gatherings than the building-inspections numbers suggest: "we are not looking for really even more than, like, a 40 person capacity." She said letters from nearby property owners — including one from a local construction firm indicating availability of parking spaces — were in the application folder and that the back conference room (about 752 square feet) was the primary event space.

Commissioners pressed the applicants on where patrons would park on busy evenings when restaurants also draw customers. One commissioner noted the city has invested nearly $1 million to incentivize downtown restaurants, and said the city should ensure restaurant customers are not displaced by event parking. Members also asked for a fire-marshal or life-safety determination of maximum allowable occupancy before a final decision.

An initial motion to approve without conditions failed on a 2–5 vote. After further discussion commissioners moved to table the application so the applicant could present a parking plan and evidence from the fire marshal or architect on life-safety capacity; that tabling motion passed on a 4–3 vote. Commissioners specified the item be returned at the planning commission’s next meeting so the panel and city council would have more complete information.

McFadden and a partner described plans for small community events, pop-up retail and modest family gatherings; they said they had discussed shared parking with a nearby Red Dog Construction lot and other downtown businesses. The applicants said they are paying rent and insurance on the building and prefer to begin operations quickly, but indicated they would gather additional parking agreements and have an architect or the fire marshal produce a life-safety review.

The commission’s action does not prohibit the applicants from pursuing the necessary life-safety review and shared-parking agreements; commissioners said the item will return to the planning commission after the applicants provide the requested documentation and will then proceed to city council for final action.