The DRA Land Use Committee has reviewed the application for a structural change to a Liquor Primary Licence to increase the occupant load from 90 to 144 people with no adjustment to the existing hours of 11AM – 1AM daily Monday to Saturday and 11AM-12AM on Sunday.
The applicant is seeking a 60% increase in capacity with all seating located in the interior of the building. The owners also operate a hotel in the building, so it is in their interest to mitigate the noise generated within the building.
With consideration for the current Public Health emergency and in the absence of the completed Municipal Alcohol Policy (which was a deliverable in 2019), which would provide a framework built on best practices to review liquor licence applications, it appears difficult to justify the approval of any applications at this time that seek such substantial changes to their operations that may negatively impact the community. We request that Council prioritizes the completion of the Liquor Policy before considering further substantive changes to any Liquor Licencing operation within the Downtown.