Commissioners move to allow indoor recreation in M1 but treat spectator seating as special use

The Garden City Planning Commission discussed on June 11 whether indoor recreation facilities — such as indoor soccer or pickleball courts and gyms — should be allowed in M1 (industrial) zoning to encourage reuse of large vacant buildings. Staff explained that some industrial buildings have the floor area and ceiling heights suitable for recreational conversions and that other nearby jurisdictions allow this type of adaptive reuse.

Commissioners broadly supported allowing indoor recreation without spectator seating as a permitted use in M1 to spur reuse of vacant industrial space, but they raised concerns about events and spectator seating that could dramatically change parking demand and neighborhood compatibility. The commission directed staff to draft ordinance language that would list indoor recreation facilities without spectator seating as a permitted use in M1, and to include indoor recreation with spectator seating as a special land use subject to site-specific review of parking, capacity (fire marshal limits) and other compatibility standards.

Staff noted existing parking standards tie required spaces to seating counts (for fixed seating, one space per three seats is a referenced standard) and that fire marshal capacity limits would also control maximum occupancy. The commission asked staff to return draft language that separates the two categories, adds clear references to parking and fire-safety standards, and identifies when administrative approval versus special land-use review is required.

Next steps: staff will prepare redlined ordinance language distinguishing non-spectator indoor recreation (permitted) from recreation facilities with spectator seating (special land use) and bring it back for public hearing and recommendation.