Kanab council allows taverns with beer sales, sets last call at 11 p.m.

KANAB, Utah — The Kanab City Council on April 14 adopted a change to the city’s Land Use Ordinance to allow tavern establishments that serve beer as a conditional use in commercial zones.

Planning staff recommended the text amendment to Chapter 20 after applicants requested clarity on whether taverns could be permitted. Councilmembers discussed concerns about noise and the potential for a "nightlife scene" in commercial areas that abut residences. To balance neighborhood concerns and business flexibility, the council set last call at 11:00 p.m. and a midnight closing time for taverns; those hour restrictions do not apply for federal holidays or approved Kanab City or Kane County special events. Council also removed the prior limit of three restaurants permitted to serve alcohol from the ordinances.

Land Use Coordinator Janae Chatterley told the council that Planning Commission had recommended treating taverns as conditional uses in C1 and C2 zones and adding specific operational requirements to Chapter 20. According to the staff report, Planning Commission also requested clarifying standards for taverns to mitigate potential impacts.

Support for the amendment during the public hearing included five individuals who said they seek local places to socialize. Councilmembers expressed differing views about whether a local closing-time restriction would unfairly disadvantage new businesses when restaurants already operate under state-regulated hours; the council settled on the compromise hours and delegated final language cleanup to staff.

Councilmember Heaton moved to adopt the ordinance with the amendments setting last call and closing times and removing the restaurant cap; Councilmember Shrope seconded. The motion passed (Shrope: Yes; Heaton: Yes; Corry: Yes; Banks: Yes; Chamberlain: Absent).