Planning Commission approves amended hours for Unison Restaurant & Banquet; item heads to City Council

The Maplewood Planning Commission voted to forward a conditional use permit amendment that would allow Unison Restaurant & Banquet, at 1800 White Bear Avenue North, to extend closing hours to 12 a.m. Sunday–Thursday and 2 a.m. Friday–Saturday.

Staff told the commission the building was approved in 2018 as a multi‑use community center and that the current request addresses only hours of operation. Staff reported 74 calls for service related to the site over a three‑year period and said Public Safety did not identify the site as an outlier compared with similar establishments; the staff recommendation was to approve the amendment with conditions and forward the item to the City Council for final action.

During public comment, the applicant’s representative said the business relies on off‑duty sheriff deputies on weekends and wants later hours to remain competitive. "We're here tonight because, we're we wanting to extend the hours," the representative said, adding the business aims to be a community asset and "pride[s] ourselves in being the benchmark for security."

Neighbors offered contrasting views. Torin Gustafson, who lives across the street, urged approval and said he had not observed the alleged spinouts in seven and a half years. "I've never seen a spin out in 7 and a half years," Gustafson said, and urged the commission to consider lighting and tree maintenance as limited follow‑ups.

Other neighbors opposed the change. Dave Halky described recurring loud events that "shake the windows," fireworks in the parking lot and alleged drag‑racing behavior on White Bear Avenue, and said multiple calls to police produced inadequate relief. "They are so loud, they shake the windows," Halky said. Staff later noted that of the calls for service in the three‑year review, eight were disorderly or assault‑type calls and that overall the site's numbers were within the range of comparison businesses.

Commissioners asked about outdoor events and permitting (staff: outdoor events need a separate license and the city’s outdoor noise hour is 10 p.m.) and about breakdowns of the calls for service (staff: data reviewed was holistic and did not include time‑of‑day breakdowns in the prepared summary). After questions and public comment, a commissioner moved to approve the amendment and the motion carried by voice vote; staff said the item will be on the City Council agenda on Feb. 9.

Next steps: The Planning Commission’s action forwards the conditional use permit amendment to the City Council for final consideration.