Des Moines zoning board denies plan to convert Spaghetti Works into large bar on Court Avenue

The Des Moines Zoning Board of Adjustment unanimously denied a conditional-use request to turn the former Spaghetti Works space at 310 Court Avenue into a tavern-style bar, rejecting the applicant’s bid to avoid the 51% food threshold required for restaurant licenses.

Bert Drost, deputy planning administrator, recommended denial on the grounds that the downtown DX2 district already has a high concentration of bars, that the proposed use could harm residential neighbors directly above the site, and that it would conflict with city planning guidance to diversify retail and dining in the Court Avenue area. "Our staff recommendation is for denial," Drost told the board, citing the Sociable City assessment and the Future Forward/PlanDSM guidance that encourage more retail and…