The City of Orlando will entertain potential changes to regulations that control the sale of alcoholic beverages within city limits.
The changes, according to Public Information Officer, Karyn Barber, are mainly confined to the administrative process behind the code in an effort to simplify the permitting process.
Proposed clarifications and changes in the code include:
- Defining a restaurant as an establishment that has a full-service kitchen and derives at least 51 percent of its sales from food and non-alcoholic beverages. Businesses that do not meet this definition would be defined as a bar.
- New bars that are trying to open within 1,000 feet of a church or school are required to get a Conditional Use Permit, which would go before the Municipal Planning Board for review prior to being considered by City Council – Variances are now considered for bars that are up to 499 feet of a church or school.
- Bars looking to open in Downtown Orlando will now only require a CUP if they are within 200 feet of a church or school.
- Definitions for churches and schools will be updated to say that the church or school must either own or be a majority lessee of the property for the requirements to apply.
- Bars opening within 300 feet of an exclusively zoned residential area will have new “performance standards” to be included in city code to ensure they compliment and minimally impact nearby residences, especially outdoor uses. The performance standards are still being reviewed by and assessed by city staff.
- The CUP process will review items that include parking, noise, security, lighting, hours of operation, and outdoor uses in addition to standard design and development considerations.
This item will be addressed by the Municipal Planning Board at their upcoming 8:30 a.m. May 21, 2019 meeting at City Hall.
