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Council tables outdoor‑entertainment ordinance after debate over occupancy, noise and downtown impacts
Summary
Council tabled a proposed Unified Development Code change that would define and allow small and large outdoor entertainment venues; members and residents objected to the proposed occupancy threshold (staff/P&Z considered 50–150), noise enforcement and potential impacts on adjacent historic neighborhoods and downtown businesses.
After two Planning & Zoning hearings and public comment, the Seguin City Council voted to table a proposed amendment to the Unified Development Code that would add definitions and rules for outdoor entertainment venues.
Staff (Pam) told council the proposal distinguishes "small" and "large" outdoor entertainment venues and recommends different review paths: small venues allowed in certain commercial and light‑industrial districts, and large venues (above a proposed occupancy threshold) subject to a specific‑use permit (SUP) and public notice. Pam said the staff and P&Z discussion moved among thresholds of 50, 100 and 150 people before Planning & Zoning recommended the higher figure.
Why council tabled: council members and public commenters urged more data on actual occupancies at downtown venues (the coffee shop, Seguin Billiards and other spaces), worried about noise enforcement and impacts on century‑old adjacent neighborhoods, and asked whether the proposed threshold unduly expands where live outdoor music could occur. One council member argued for waiting until staff could present fire‑marshal occupancy figures and downtown usage data.
Result and next steps: Council voted to table the ordinance until staff returns with occupancy and fire‑marshal data for existing downtown venues and a clearer list of operational impacts; staff suggested the council could either revisit the item at the next meeting or take a second reading with revisions once data are available.
The tabling preserves the current code while staff compiles occupancy information and clarifies how the SUP process and noise/parking requirements would apply to proposed venues.
