Board approves conditional use for members-only lounge at 114 West Main Street

The Plain Board of Zoning Appeals on April 10 approved a conditional-use permit to allow a members-only cocktail lounge on the third floor of the McKeown Building at 114 West Main Street.

The board voted to approve written findings of fact and then the conditional use itself after hearing a presentation from an applicant representative and staff. The proposal — described by the applicant representative as an intimate, members-only cocktail lounge modeled on an existing operation called 80 East — is intended to attract higher-spending customers and increase foot traffic for nearby Uptown businesses.

Town staff explained that the zoning ordinance treats drinking places that are not full-service restaurants as conditional uses in the B-3 district and told the board the application met the ordinance criteria. "So every zoning district has permitted uses, and then they have conditional uses that are permitted with approval," a staff member said during the hearing, describing how a members-only bar differs from a permitted restaurant.

The applicant representative said the operator already runs a members-only lounge in Powell and emphasized coordination with nearby restaurants and shops. "I submitted the transfer of the license she purchased this morning," the representative said, describing the liquor-license transfer process that the operator began; staff and the applicant said the transfer is expected to take roughly six to eight weeks before final sign-off.

Board members discussed several operational details during the public hearing: the presenter gave an estimated occupancy load of 29 for the third-floor space, said the operator plans to market beginning May 1 and target a July 1 opening, and described separate third-floor access via an elevator in an old alley and key-fob entry for tenants and members. On hours, the applicant representative estimated public or member hours would generally run about 4 p.m. to 11 p.m. on most operating nights.

Some members raised concerns about compatibility and parking. One board member said he was not "overly sold that the plans for the area need a third bar," and another asked whether there would be enough parking for the limited capacity. The applicant representative acknowledged the parking concern and said the project relies on nearby public lots and that the developer plans to consider contributing additional parking capacity over the next 24 to 36 months.

Board members also discussed the interplay between a conditional use and the liquor license: staff clarified the conditional use would remain tied to the 3rd-floor space rather than automatically transferring to a new owner if the current operator sells the business, while the liquor license is an asset the operator could sell or transfer under state rules. The applicant and staff noted that council approval of the liquor-license transfer is a separate step the operator also must complete.

After deliberation, the board approved the findings of fact and then voted to grant the conditional-use permit. The moderator announced the motion carried and the meeting moved to adjournment. The operator must complete the liquor-license transfer and any council approvals before the lounge opens.

What happens next: staff will prepare the written findings and the conditional-use permit; the operator will complete the liquor-license transfer (estimated six to eight weeks) and await any final council sign-off before beginning operations.