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Plan Commission backs limited late-night outdoor dining for Lawrence Event Center with restrictions on outdoor music
Summary
The commission recommended that the Village Board allow the Lawrence Event Center to run outdoor dining until midnight on Thursday–Saturday, provided outdoor music or amplified speakers be turned off at 10 p.m.; staff and commissioners noted landscaping and a wooded buffer to mitigate sound and light impacts.
The Menomonee Falls Plan Commission on Nov. 12 recommended that the Village Board grant a conditional-use permit to allow the proposed Lawrence Event Center to offer outdoor dining past 10 p.m. until midnight on Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays, with a requirement that outdoor music or speakers be shut off at 10 p.m.
Planner Amy Bennett said the proposed event center would be a roughly 12,000-square-foot building with capacity for about 200 guests and about 12 employees; the applicant requested limited extended outdoor dining hours in a C6 office district. Staff noted the patio would be located on the east side of the building, with a wooded buffer of roughly 50–75 feet and landscaping intended to mitigate light and noise impacts for nearby residences. Bennett also confirmed that public notice and a Village Board public hearing are scheduled for Dec. 2.
Commissioners sought clarification about sound mitigation and the location of the patio relative to nearby homes; staff and the applicant said the wooded area and a small fence/retaining wall would help, and that the proposal does not include a music stage in the outdoor portion. Commissioner questions focused on parking, grading and how lighting will be controlled; staff said those details would be addressed through conditions. Commissioner motion to recommend approval (subject to eight conditions) passed by unanimous voice vote.
