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Planning board recommends conditional-use exemptions for Play Money family entertainment center, sets safety and design conditions
Summary
After extended discussion of safety, age limits and code exemptions, the board voted to recommend that the city commission grant Play Money a conditional-use path that would allow family entertainment operations (including children) and potential on-site alcohol under commission approval, while imposing conditions on lighting, landscaping, restrooms, police vetting and at least 10 bike racks.
The planning board voted to recommend that the city commission consider conditional-use exemptions allowing Play Money Family Fun Center (proposed at 2765 Peters Road) to operate as an indoor family entertainment center in a C-3 commercial district, subject to specific conditions negotiated by the board.
Staff told members that arcades are currently a conditional use in C-3 and that state law changes have prompted staff to seek code amendments to allow a distinct indoor family entertainment center definition. Staff listed initial conditions — including a provision that currently would bar persons under 18 unless an exception were granted — and asked the board whether it wished to recommend exemptions for this proposal.
Multiple board members raised concerns about allowing children into a large arcade space given a nearby school and about on-site alcohol, parking, the number of required bicycle racks and the potential for increased crime. Applicant representatives and the business owner described the concept as free-play family entertainment — a flat-fee entrance with no per-machine payouts — that hosts field trips and birthday parties.
Owner Brian Naruda described existing field-trip demand: "We book about 12 to 16 birthday parties a month in there," he said, and said the business supports local nonprofits and brings family traffic. Jen Spearman, representing the applicant, stressed the model’s similarity to other family entertainment centers and asked for the board’s help in achieving clarifying code changes.
After negotiating exemptions to sections of the code (operating-hours/age, proximity requirements, 9,000-square-foot cap, machine-registration requirements), the board coalesced on a recommendation that would:
- Allow children to use the facility by recommending an exemption to the age restriction; - Recommend the commission consider permitting on-site alcohol sales/consumption as an exception; - Allow an increase above the 9,000-square-foot threshold for this family entertainment use; - Require safety and design measures (adequate lighting, restrooms, landscaping) and police vetting; and - Require a practical number of bike racks (the board agreed on 10) and a plan to address any tinting/visibility of games.
The board then voted by roll call to recommend approval to the commission with those exemptions and conditions; the recommendation will go to the city commission, which has final authority over any code exemptions or conditional-use permits.
Next steps: staff will package the board’s recommendation and the proposed list of exemptions/conditions for the city commission. The applicant and staff are also expected to pursue the planned code amendment that would define indoor family entertainment centers and clarify the arcade/table-of-uses language.
