BY DANIEL SCHMIDT
THE OBSERVER
AUBURN — A split Auburn City Council on Oct. 6 denied a temporary ban on new lounges in and around downtown due to what city officials characterized as a “disproportionate number of public safety calls in the area tied to the businesses.”
The final vote was 4-4.
Ward 1 Council Member Connie Fitch-Taylor, Ward 2 Council Member Kelley Griswold, Ward 5 Council Member Sonny Moreman and Ward 8 Council Member Tommy Dawson voted for the measure.
Ward 3 Council Member Beth Witten, Ward 4 Council Member Tyler Adams, Ward 6 Council Member Bob Parsons and Ward 7 Council Member Max Coblentz voted against the measure.
Mayor Ron Anders did not attend the meeting due to illness.
The moratorium would have prevented the city from considering or approving conditional use applications for new lounges in the Urban Core, Urban Neighborhood-East and Urban Neighborhood-West zoning districts. The Urban Core includes the College Edge Overlay District.
Before the vote took place, Griswold characterized the ordinance as a “strategic pause” instead of a longer-standing shift in the city’s approach to nightlife.
“Yes, moratorium is kind of a negative term to a lot of folks, and unfortunately, that’s the only term we can think of at this point,” Griswold said. “It’s just a pause to allow the city staff to take a look at other college communities, to look at the problems we may or may not have through public safety calls, that kind of thing.”
According to the city’s zoning ordinance, a lounge is any place that may sell all types of alcoholic beverages but does not meet the requirements of a restaurant or private club. The split is typically defined by a business making 51% or more of its revenue from alcohol sales.
According to a staff summary in the council’s meeting packet, the downtown area has a “significant number” of lounges.
Information from the Public Safety Department also showed they generate more calls for service than lounges in other parts of the city. However, the meeting packet did not include any data on calls or responses by public safety employees.
After the meeting, Coblentz, who initially raised the idea of the city having a work session to study the proposal’s merits and drawbacks, said he voted against it to give city staff more time to study the repercussions.
“With the conditional use tool we have in our toolbox, I felt like that was the appropriate way to handle that going forward,” Coblentz said. “We have work sessions all the time on different topics.”
The council first took up the ordinance at its Sept. 15 meeting but voted to postpone a vote on the measure until it had more time to consult business owners, community members and others.
In other news, the council:
- Congratulated Griswold for his eight years on the council following his decision to not run for reelection.
- Announced two vacancies on the Building Board of Adjustments, with terms beginning on Nov. 3 and ending on Nov. 2, 2030. Appointments will be made during the council’s Nov. 3 meeting.
- Announced three vacancies on the Tree Commission, with terms beginning on Nov. 8 and ending on Nov. 7, 2029. Appointments will be made during the council’s Nov. 3 meeting.
- Announced one vacancy on the Parks and Recreation Advisory Board, with a term beginning on Dec. 1 and ending on Nov. 30, 2030. That appointment will be made during the council’s Nov. 3 meeting.
- Approved a special events retail alcohol license for Aramark Educational Services, which is doing business as Plainsman Park at 351 S. Donahue Drive.
- Approved a special retail license for more than 30 days for AUC, which is doing business as Auburn University Club at 1502 Club Creek Drive.
- Approved a special retail license for more than 30 days for AUC, which is doing business as Auburn University Club at 1650 Yarbrough Farms Blvd.
- Approved a special retail license for 30 days or less for Friendship Foods, which is doing business as Country’s Barbecue at the 350 Duncan Drive green space.
- Approved a special events retail alcohol license for Premium Pours, which is doing business as Premium Pours Bartending Sigma Chi at 737 W. Magnolia Ave.
- Approved a taxpayer penalty waiver request from CTC Auburn.
- Approved a taxpayer penalty waiver request from Donghee America.
- Authorized tenant lease agreements for the Boykin Community Center.
- Authorized a $214,683 contract with CARE Humane Society for animal sheltering services for fiscal year 2027.
- Authorized the $56,518 purchase of computer equipment for the Boykin-Donahue Library from Dell Products and Services.
- Authorized a financial audit contract assignment agreement with Frazier and Deeter after the company acquired Machen and McChesney, which was originally under contract.
- Authorized a $71,000 contract with Sunbelt Fire to buy 20 sets of Globe Apparel turnout gear for the Fire Department.
- Authorized an infrastructure development agreement with TDC Pacific Properties for Sterling Auburn Cottages.
- Authorized a $63,308 contract with Thalamus for the Magnolia Avenue at Ginn Concourse fiber project.
- Accepted a public right of way from Jay Chapman for properties at 222 and 230 W. Drake Ave.
- Accepted public utility easements, public sidewalk easements and public rights of way from Farber Quality Construction for property in the Chambers Map of Auburn at 618 Martin Luther King Drive.
- Accepted a temporary construction easement from David and Michelle Held at 535 N. College St. for the North College Street and Drake Avenue intersection improvements project and approved $2,680 in compensation.
- Accepted public lighting and drainage easements from JFT Properties for property located at 726 Harper Ave.
- Accepted a greenway easement from G.E. Mann Properties for Cole Place Subdivision, Phase 1.
- Accepted public rights of way and easements from John and Elizabeth Schumacher and Charles G. Solomon, KS Huntley for Heard Subdivision No. 2, Redivision of Lot 11-A and Second Addition Redivision of Lot 24, at 915 and 945 Moores Mill Road.
- Accepted public drainage and utility easements from SMB Land for property at the western end of Kennesaw Lane, south of Mrs. James Road.
- Postponed a vote on rezoning 1.35 acres at 1400 N. College St. for Youth for Christ from rural and development district housing to a comprehensive development district.
- Approved the vacation of the Prosper at Plainsman Lake sewer easement for Bison Trust at 1803 Kenai Pass.
- Approved a $63,083 tax abatement for Maxim Solutions at 967 Stage Road. The company anticipates hiring 15 employees over the next four years and investing nearly $1.4 million.
- Authorized a $9.87 million contract with EAC Enterprises, which is doing business as AGX Siteworx, for Phase 1 of the North Donahue Drive widening project.
- Authorized a $770,861 agreement with Thompson Engineering for Phase 1 of the North Donahue Drive widening project.
