Local entrepreneur pitches Lakeside Sports Bar and family amenities at BFW building; council asks for more details

John Martin, who told the council he has decades of experience running bars and nightclubs, outlined a proposal to lease the BFW building and convert it into a “Lakeside Sports Bar and Grill” that would include indoor game rooms, a small kitchen, a greenhouse for school field trips and, in the longer term, an artificial beach and paddle‑boat rentals.

Martin told the council the interior would be configured to host families — “it’s going to be a place where everybody can come, even with their family and their little kids” — and described plans for cornhole, a par‑three putting green and other low‑cost entertainment. He said the kitchen is “big enough for a bar and grill type place” and that he wants the initial operation to be simple and fast service. He also said he would like a 10‑year initial lease if approved.

Council members and residents pressed Martin on practical issues. Council member Joe Brown and others asked about hours (Martin suggested staying open to 2 a.m.), noise mitigation for nearby residential areas, security, and liability for water‑based activities on the lake. City staff noted the property is currently zoned residential (R6) and that outdoor amenities such as a beach and boat rentals may require rezoning or a conditional zoning process. Staff also recommended that substantial tenant improvements be subject to city manager approval rather than a blank‑check allowance.

The discussion produced no final approval. Instead, the council directed staff to work with Martin on a conditional zoning process or a rezoning application, and to return to council with more detailed plans that clearly separate interior bar/restaurant operations from additional outdoor uses the applicant hopes to pursue. No formal lease was approved at the meeting.

Council members repeatedly flagged liability as a central issue. As one council member put it, “when you have children, alcohol and water, that’s a lot,” and suggested the city and applicant must clearly define responsibility for safety, insurance and supervision before permitting lake uses. Staff said the lease packet could be adjusted to require receipts and prior approval of major improvements and that outside uses should come back as a separate, more detailed proposal.

Next steps: staff will work with the applicant on more detailed plans and zoning options (conditional zoning or resurveyed parcel boundaries) and will return to council for further consideration before any lease is finalized.