67-25 Special Exception at 307-321 Hill Street and 523-529 East Lasalle Avenue

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Staff Report— BZA#0372-25 October 6, 2025 Criteria for Decision Making: Special Exception A Special Exception may only be granted upon making a written determination, based upon the evidence presented at a public hearing, that: (1) The proposed use will not be injurious to the public health, safety, comfort, community moral standards, convenience or general welfare; Approval of this Special Exception should not be injurious to the public health, safety, morals, and general welfare of the community. Outdoor recreation and entertainment are an essential piece to any downtown area and the activity there should make it safer for all residents. (2) The proposed use will not injure or adversely affect the use of the adjacent area or property values therein; Outdoor entertainment and recreation should not injure or adversely affect the use of the adjacent area or property values; the use is activating a mostly vacant parcel to feature several activities, drawing more people to the downtown and improving the area around it. (3) The proposed use will be consistent with the character of the district in which it is located and the land uses authorized therein; The proposed use will be consistent with the character of the district in which it is located. The Downtown Zoning District calls for a variety of high-intensity urban uses. The proposed use falls within this description. (4) The proposed use is compatible with the recommendations of the Comprehensive Plan. The proposed use is compatible with the Northeast Neighborhood Plan (2022). The plan calls for active mixed-use on the lot. While this is not the full implementation of the plan; the entertainment/recreation, outdoor, would fit within that mixed-use concept in the future. Criteria for Decision Making: Variance(s) State statutes and the Zoning Ordinance require that certain standards must be met before a variance can be approved. The standards and their justifications are as follows: (1) The approval will not be injurious to the public health, safety, morals and general welfare of the community The approval should not be injurious to the public health, safety, morals, and general welfare of the community. The transparency of the structures and number of accessory structures would not be injurious to the public. (2) The use and value of the area adjacent to the property included in the variance will not be affected in a substantially adverse manner The use and value of the area adjacent to the property included in the variance should not be affected in an adverse manner. The structures without facade transparency will act as an enclosed barrier for the site and will permit a variety of outdoor activity to occur with the accessory structures providing essential support, thereby activating a vacant parcel. S( II HI NI) BOARD OF ZONING APPEALS Page o1-t