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Planning commission approves seven‑day entertainment district while keeping midnight closing hours
Summary
The commission recommended expanding the entertainment‑district overlay to seven days a week while leaving hours at 11 a.m. to 12 a.m.; the measure passed 3–2 after debate about resident notice, signage and policing.
The St. Cloud Planning Commission voted 3–2 on March 17 to recommend approval of a code amendment (CDA26-00001, ordinance 2026-09) that makes the entertainment‑district overlay available seven days a week while keeping the permitted beverage hours at 11:00 a.m. to 12:00 a.m.
Zoning Manager Tisha Manny said staff originally proposed extending hours to 1:00 a.m. and removing the Wednesday–Saturday restriction; after City Council discussion the proposed hour change was withdrawn and the current request is limited to removing the day-of-week restriction so the overlay would operate Sunday through Saturday. Manny said police and fire had not reported recent arrests or disturbances tied to the overlay and staff recommended approval to support economic development.
Commissioners pressed staff on notice and signage: Manny said changes to the land development code required a legal advertisement for the public hearing but do not mandate mailed buffers; staff plans further visibility measures and signage (stickers and building markers) and has scheduled an entertainment‑district workshop on April 16 to discuss implementation and outreach.
Staff clarified operational rules: patrons may leave a participating business with a designated cup and walk within the overlay while consuming the beverage, but they may not carry an open beverage into another business; patrons must remain within the district boundaries while consuming the drink. Manny read the district’s general boundaries into the record as running roughly between Pennsylvania and Massachusetts and extending toward Ninth Street and SR‑192.
A motion to recommend approval as presented by staff was made and seconded; the commission recommended approval by a 3–2 vote. The recommendation will be sent to City Council for final action; staff said it would pursue additional public outreach and signage to increase visibility of the district’s boundaries and participating businesses.
