While the planning department and planning commission think they can hand over approvals of permits to the city council on a silver platter, it seems this time around those two departments were not following the rules and just approving the casinos all will-nilly;
But residents argued that under zoning ordinances, alcohol isn’t to be sold within 500 feet of single family housing, even if the casinos are in a commercially zoned area, and that Soberg shouldn’t get a variance.
Councilor Greg Jamison agreed, saying the council shouldn’t stray from the 500-foot standard it established in its Shape Places zoning ordinance. “We set the standards with Shape Places, and we need to commit to that,†Jamison said. “Just the fact that this is close to single-family homes, it just doesn’t fit. It isn’t right.â€
So why didn’t the planning department catch this pesky little rule? Or did they think they were going to slip this by the council? While I am not opposed to bars in neighborhoods (they are actually great meeting places) This is NOT a bar where people sit and chat and hang out, this is a telephone booth VL casino where people become zombified in front of a machine. Also, it is too close to a school bus stop. The council did the right thing in denying this request. But will there be any repercussions for the planning department for recommending this be approved?