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Tempe approves partial rezoning to allow small event venue, with noise and parking caveats
Summary
The Development Review Commission unanimously approved a partial rezoning at 3910 South Rural Road March 24 to allow an event venue limited to Suite 102 and its courtyard; staff and the applicant emphasized parking controls and neighbor communication while commissioners noted amplified sound and hours would require separate administrative approvals.
The Tempe Development Review Commission on March 24 approved a zoning map amendment to rezone the northern building and courtyard of 3910 South Rural Road from RO (residential office) to CSS (commercial services and shopping) to allow a small event venue.
Applicant representative Adam Ba said the request is intentionally limited to Suite 102 (about 2,600 square feet) and an approximately 4,000‑square‑foot courtyard so the property cannot be used for higher‑intensity commercial uses in the future. Ba described operational controls to reduce neighborhood impacts: on‑site staff to direct parking to the site's roughly 70 spaces, a possible valet, coordination with a neighboring church for overflow parking, sharing direct cell phone contact numbers with adjacent residents, and policies to investigate and document any complaints. "We would share the cell phone number of the actual personnel on site so residents have a direct ability to communicate with us," Ba said.
Ba acknowledged that early online listings overstated capacity and said a previously published event website has been taken down. "We probably can't have more than a hundredish people there given the parking situation," he told the commission, and he cited fire‑code occupancy limits for the interior space.
Senior planner Chris Jasper presented staff analysis and supported the split rezoning as consistent with the general plan, noting precedents for split‑zoned lots and that the reduced scope (north building only) mitigates potential future high‑intensity uses. Jasper said a neighborhood meeting was held July 28, 2025 (six residents attended) and staff received one letter of opposition and some area noise complaints unrelated to the site. He noted concurrent reviews — a minor development plan review for courtyard modifications and a shared‑parking analysis — would follow the rezoning.
Commissioners asked whether the commission could attach hours or amplified‑sound limits to the rezoning. Jasper responded that map amendments are land‑use changes and are limited in the types of operational conditions they can include; amplified outdoor sound that conflicts with the city's noise ordinance would require separate approval through the Special Events Task Force. Commissioner Michelle Schwarz flagged amplified sound and enforcement as an administrative rather than a zoning issue.
Commissioner Linda Spears moved to approve PL250166; the motion was seconded and passed unanimously.
Staff noted follow‑up actions: the applicant will complete the development plan/parking review and any special‑event or sound permits required for amplified outdoor music or activities.
