Commission tables Roaring Boar business‑occupancy request over PDD entertainment rules

Matthew Calandro, the applicant for the Roaring Boar at 509–513 (511–513) Howe Avenue, described plans for a 4,000‑square‑foot restaurant with a music stage and a separate 500‑square‑foot VIP bar. Calandro said the main floor would be largely self-service with QR-code ordering, and 'the other 500 square foot space ... will be basically a VIP experience with a bourbon bar.'

Commissioners questioned whether amplified or indoor entertainment is included in the site's existing Planned Development District (PDD) statement of uses. Chair Virginia Harger and several commissioners said that if entertainment is not explicitly listed in the PDD's permitted uses it should be added or the application should be processed as a modification rather than a standard business‑occupancy certificate. City staff and counsel noted that modifications to the statement of uses can require different processes (major vs. minor modifications) and public hearings.

Attorney Franciscia Delso and staff recommended investigating how other restaurants in PDDs have handled entertainment and whether liquor-control and fire‑marshal steps would also control capacity and amplified-sound issues. The commission voted to table the business‑occupancy decision and asked staff to research prior PDD approvals and consistency with existing precedents.

Why it matters: Adding entertainment to a PDD's uses changes the scope of permitted activity on a parcel and can affect neighbors, parking, and public-safety oversight. The commission chose not to grant occupancy until staff confirmed consistent practice for PDDs and how liquor-control and fire-marshal approvals interact with planning permissions.

Next steps: Staff will research prior PDD statements of uses and return with guidance; the applicant was told he could return once the PDD/statement-of-uses question is resolved. The commission's tabling preserves the option for a minor or major modification process depending on the staff and counsel assessment.