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Council hears staff proposal to combine bar and tavern licenses and add 350‑foot buffer
Summary
City staff proposed merging local bar and tavern license pools into a single category, moving to a 1:6,000 population ratio and adding a 350‑foot proximity buffer to reduce concentration. Staff said one bar application is pending and asked council for direction; no final vote was taken.
City staff presented a proposal to change local alcohol licensing limits that would combine the city’s bar and tavern license pools into a single pool, alter the local population ratio, and add a proximity buffer intended to curb geographic concentration of drinking establishments.
Aaron (city staff) said the current local code allows five bar licenses and five tavern licenses (set locally as one per 10,000 population in each category) and that the proposed approach would combine them into a single pool governed by one local ratio: one license per 6,000 residents. Under city population figures cited during the presentation, that approach would create nine available licenses with six currently issued and leave two available after a pending state application for a bar is resolved.
Aaron also presented a proposed 350‑foot buffer between bar/tavern establishments to reduce the risk of clustering along streets and corners. He showed a map with existing license locations and circles representing the buffer; staff proposed grandfathering existing licensees that fall within the buffer.
Aaron noted that the state issues authorizing licenses and that local rules govern how many of each category the city allows. "The proposal is to combine the bar tavern licenses into a single pool," Aaron said. Council members asked whether the city could designate whether a license functions as a bar or tavern — staff said the state and code definitions largely determine that and local zoning/use charts also control permitted locations.
Next steps Staff said they will refine the draft amendment and can present alternate approaches — such as changing only the bar ratio, using zoning‑based controls, or exempting manufacturing locations — at a future meeting. Council did not vote on the proposal at the Nov. 18 workshop.
Context Staff cited state comparisons and local trends: there are far fewer tavern licenses statewide than bar licenses and other Utah cities have moved to geographic controls or eliminated population quotas.
