City Council Compromise Grants Modified Zoning for Sports Bar

City Council Compromises and Grants Modified Zoning for Extra Innings Sports Bar & Grill

Tuesday evening, May 11th, the Central City Council held its regularly sheduled meeting at Kristenwood. Before the Council was a request for rezoning a space in the commercial development behind Canes to allow an establishment called Extra Innings Sports Bar & Grill to serve alcohol under a C-AB-2 zoning classification. It had been known since the commercial development was approved in 2009 that one proposed use of this space was an establishment that would serve alcohol, but whether the zoning request would be C-AB-1 or C-AB-2 was never discussed in a city meeting. The difference in the two classifications is that C-AB-1 allows only 49% of sales to be alcohol, and C-AB-2 has no such restriction. This request made it before the Council by first receiving unanimous approval of the Planning and Zoning Commission (P& Z) in its April meeting. The P&Z’s role is advisory only and the ultimate decision on all zoning rests with the City Council.

After hearing 14 citizens speak for the rezoning and 13 speak against it, the Council seemed destined to end up with a 3 to 2 vote, which, either way, would have left approximately half of the 200 plus in attendance unhappy with the result. During the Council discussion, Councilmen Moak and Washington began probing the issue of whether there could be any compromise. After discussing several options the applicant and Mr. Moak arrived at a stipulation that the sports bar be required to have at least 20% of its revenue come from the sale of food and non-alcoholic beverages, which was still a smaller percentage than Councilman Washington would accept. That motion came to a vote and the rezoning was approved by a vote of 3 to 2, with Lansing and Washington voting against approval.  The new name for the sports bar will be Extra Innings Sports Bar & Grill.