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Zoning board approves Chandelier event center at 413 Euclid with conditions
Summary
The Des Moines Zoning Board of Adjustment approved a conditional use allowing an event center and on‑premise alcohol sales at 413 Euclid, subject to staff conditions on hours, noise and operations; the applicant sought extended hours and looser rules on outdoor amplification, neighbors raised parking, noise and trash concerns.
The Des Moines Zoning Board of Adjustment on Monday approved a conditional use that will allow an event center with on‑premise alcohol sales and an outdoor patio at 413 Euclid, known to the applicant as the French Way building. The board’s approval is subject to staff‑recommended conditions governing hours of operation, alcohol service and noise.
City planner Catherine Drahus presented the staff recommendation, saying the two‑parcel site (rezoned to MX‑1 in August) met conditional‑use criteria so long as the applicant complied with standard conditions: hours of operation (8 a.m.–11 p.m. for events, with cleanup by midnight), alcohol confined to designated indoor areas and the proposed patio, and compliance with municipal code noise limits (Chapter 42). Drahus said staff’s recommended conditions were intended to protect nearby residences while enabling reuse of the vacant building.
Applicant Josh Law, who plans to operate the venue as "Chandelier," told the board he has two decades of experience in the event industry and envisages primarily weddings and community events. Law asked the board to allow most events until midnight and to permit amplified sound outdoors so long as it met the city noise ordinance (he proposed 65 dBA at the property line, with a 50 dBA limit after 10 p.m.). He also asked that a daily trash‑removal requirement be changed to weekly pickup supplemented by event‑day cleanup, and offered to require a dedicated security officer if alcohol is served after midnight.
Neighbors spoke both for and against the proposal. Alex Veil Dorp, a local event vendor, supported the project as a needed, affordable venue for fundraisers and community events. Gary Fox, who owns an apartment building immediately north of the site, urged stronger protections for adjacent residences — calling for a 6–7‑foot solid privacy fence and raising concerns about noise, parking overflow and litter. Fox said he feared large crowds and late‑night disturbance if controls were not strict.
Zoning enforcement officer Chris Oskove clarified that building and fire codes set maximum occupancy and that Chapter 42 governs sound at the property line (staff and counsel noted a 65‑dB measurement threshold). The applicant said site plans had been submitted and that final capacity would be determined by the fire marshal; he estimated maximum interior capacities in the low hundreds, far below the 2,000‑person threshold raised by a neighbor.
Board members balanced neighborhood concerns with the goal of reusing a vacant historic building. Some members said they would consider allowing midnight hours on limited nights if outdoor amplified music were prohibited; others preferred sticking to staff’s recommended 11 p.m. cutoff. After discussion, the board approved the conditional use subject to staff conditions as presented on the agenda.
The decision is effective immediately; applicants must obtain required permits and comply with site plan, building and fire code reviews. The board reminded neighbors that the zoning enforcement office will respond to any documented violations of the conditions and may seek reconsideration if the operation becomes a nuisance.
