Scottsdale council approves permits for downtown beach club

The Scottsdale City Council on Tuesday approved several permits for Triyar Entertainment's beach club-anchored complex in the city's downtown entertainment district.

Scottsdale Retail Plaza is well under construction on most of the block that housed Myst nightclub on Shoeman Lane, and Suede restaurant and bar on Indian Plaza. The complex is set to open in the first quarter of 2013.

The council approved the following:

Conditional-use permits for a bar and live entertainment for Triyar's beach club, which will include a 9,700-square-foot indoor bar and 17,600 square feet of outdoor pool and patio areas. The club will be in the center of the complex.

Conditional-use permits for a bar and live entertainment for Riot Hospitality Group's Whiskey Row, a modern Western saloon on the eastern side of the complex.

A conditional-use permit for a bar for Munchbar, Les Corieri's latest venue. The sports bar also will be on the eastern side of the complex.

The council also approved liquor-license recommendations to the Arizona Department of Liquor Licenses and Control for Whiskey Row and the beach club.

Councilman Bob Littlefield voted against all of the items, saying the complex will be the "biggest and most intrusive part of this bar district," and that the city has yet to "discipline and get control" of the district that's "destroying" the city.

Councilman Ron McCullagh voted against the conditional-use permits for Whiskey Row. He said the live entertainment won't be contained inside the bar because, although the doors are required to be closed and there won't be any outdoor speakers, there is no requirement for the roll-up window to the patio to be closed.

"The whole issue of trying to contain the noise seems to have been bypassed," he said.

Councilwoman Lisa Borowsky made the motions for all of the approvals, saying the applicant has met all of the criteria imposed by the city and that Triyar is investing a lot in the city to revitalize aging properties.

The council has yet to consider a recommendation for Munchbar's liquor license. Planning Director Tim Curtis said its liquor-license application had to be withdrawn and resubmitted, and will be considered by the council in the coming weeks.

McCullagh said the council shouldn't consider a conditional-use permit before a liquor-license recommendation and made a motion to postpone the issue until both could be considered at the same meeting. Littlefield seconded his motion, saying the liquor-license application includes a lot of important information, such as an applicant's criminal history.

The council voted 5-2 for Borowsky's substitute motion for approval, with McCullagh and Littlefield voting no.

Jason Morris, a zoning attorney representing Triyar, said the complex replaces "precisely the same uses that were there before ... only updated and better constructed." He also said there will be daytime and nighttime use at the complex, and that entertainment won't start until after 5 p.m.

Mark Stuart, a Scottsdale resident, asked the council who the target market for the complex is and, "why do we want this?"

John Washington, a former mayoral candidate, said he was asked by Bill Crawford, president of the Association to Preserve Downtown Scottsdale's Quality of Life, to speak in opposition. The city originally was told the complex would replace two bars with one bar and retail space, and now it will include five bars, no retail and less parking, he said.

"The bottom line is these uses will exacerbate the problems we already have with parking, noise and imported crime," he said.

by Edward Gately - Sept. 12, 2012 The Republic | azcentral.com




Scottsdale council approves permits for downtown beach club