Examiner article - Aug. 31/11

New rules eyed for bars

Big nightclubs a no-no for downtown, association says

By Ian McInroy – Barrie Examiner

Determining where, or if, large nightclubs should be located in the city will be the subject of an upcoming public meeting.

Council gave initial approval for the meeting on Monday.

Residents, business people and developers will be asked for their input about new zoning regulations for restaurants, bars, taverns and nightclubs as set out in a staff report received by councillors. But before nightclubs can be regulated, they have to be defined, said Coun. Lynn Strachan, whose ward includes the downtown area.

"Currently, a nightclub is not defined in any zoning bylaw," she said.

"We want to set up a definition which would help us regulate where they go in the city. We want to ensure there are not too many in the downtown area and to ensure they're not within 200 metres of residential areas."

The report also suggested nightclubs have a maximum capacity of 600 people (including a patio) and be at least 200 metres from another nightclub.

Ben Strudwick, co-chairman of the Barrie Downtown Neighbourhood Association, said the group is in favour of regulating any new nightclubs.

"We don't want anymore large bars downtown. They already have a maximum capacity of 6,200 leaving the bars at closing time," he said. "That's an awful lot of people to be let out at the same time in a concentrated area.

"It's noisy, it's not very friendly and it leads to confrontations between patrons exiting the bars."

Strudwick says the noise from downtown patios and bars is already "cheek and jowl with downtown residents," noting residential towers along Dunlop and Bayfield streets will soon be joined by another development across from the bus station and two eight-storey buildings — which will include 150 condominiums, a grocery store, and a retail component that will include a bank and office space — at the northeast corner of Collier and Mulcaster streets.

"The noise concern is one we're on about at the moment. If you're going to have residents downtown, you have to enforce the bylaws," Strudwick said. "Many of the bars have been very co-operative, so it's been successful to a point."

But there are still issues with some of the establishments, he added.

Smaller watering holes are not the issue, Strudwick said.

"We're not against the local kind of pub that has 30 or 40 people or plaza bars. We're against large bars in close proximity to each other," he said. "We want to leave space between them to diversify and invite other small shop owners to the area.

"We need little shops to attract people downtown."

Strudwick says the association is also concerned about future development on Bradford Street.

"We don't want Bradford Street to turn into another Dunlop Street. The density of people is there and the opportunity is there for big bar businesses," he said. "With some controls going in place, the city can control the growth in that area."

Strachan says the city intends to do that.

"There are a lot of opportunities on Bradford Street. It is critical in the development of the downtown and city centre," she said. "We have to make sure it's the right mix of uses.

"If the changes (to the zoning bylaw) were passed, it would ensure we don't have any nightclubs on Bradford Street. They'd be too close to residents," she said, alluding to people living in nearby condos or homeowners on residential streets in the area.

Strachan says certain areas of the city are developing their own character.

Collier Street is an area of legal professionals, Dunlop Street is for entertainment, bars and shopping and Bradford Street would be a transitional area with mixed uses of residential and retail.

"It behooves us to improve the downtown so its residents and the increased density of people there have some place to walk and shop," Strudwick said.

The public meeting to gather input about zoning bylaw changes is likely to take place in the late fall or early winter, according to clerk Dawn McAlpine.

imcinroy@thebarrieexaminer.com