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CITY OF COLUMBIA HEIGHTS PLANNING REPORT
DATE: November 1, 2005
TO: Columbia Heights Planning Commission
PREPARED BY: Jeff Sargent, City Planner
INTRODUCTION
The Planning and Zoning Commission was to comment on the possibility of extending
the bar closing time from 1:00 a.m. to 2:00 a.m., and submit the comments to the City
Planner prior to the November 1, 2005 meeting. Two comments were emailed to the
planner and a third was described in a telephone conversation.
Of the three responses, the City received three different opinions. The emailed
responses are attached herein. Chair Szurek stated that she feels that the 1:00 a.m.
closing time is sufficient and that she sees no reason to extend the closing time to 2:00
a.m. She feels that there were negative impacts to the City when the City extended the
liquor stores’ selling time to a later hour, and that extending a bar’s closing time to 2:00
a.m. would result in similar negative impacts.
Member Thompson doesn’t feel that there is a point in allowing bars to remain open
until 2:00 a.m. on Sunday mornings or most Holiday eves, but feels that extending the
hours on Friday and Saturday nights would be acceptable. Mr. Thompson would trust
the Police Department’s assessment on the situation and would support their action.
Member Peterson is in favor of the 2:00 a.m. closing time for Star Central, only if they
met specific conditions. The proposed conditions are outlined in his attached email
letter. Mr. Peterson stated that the idea is to have all bars be better self-policers, and
consequently, better neighbors to the community they reside in. Each bar requesting a
2:00 a.m. closing time would have to follow the same conditions as he listed, forcing
them to be aware of the ordinance and be better neighbors.