An application to allow a new downtown Helena, Montana casino was withdrawn on late Monday, although the applicants are now expected to reapply. The request was for a conditional use permit to expand the Windbag Saloon & Grill on Last Chance Gulch by adding a casino in the space to the restaurant’s immediate north.
The Helena Zoning Commission was set to hear the plans from property owner Matt Schmechel and Mosaic Architecture’s Ben Tintinger on Tuesday, but the applicants withdrew the request based “on staff conditions,” explained City Manager Rachel Harlow-Schalk according to Helena Independent Record.
Preliminary architectural plans retrieved by the cited source call for another bar top and seating toward the front of the casino, and video gaming machines and bathrooms toward the rear. The permit application requires a review by city staff and pertinent departments, which then make a recommendation based on their findings.
In the case of the proposed casino, approval was recommended under a set of conditions, including not opening before 6 p.m.; that gaming machines be turned off or in a low-power mode when not in use; and a “No Smoking” sign to hang near the entrance.
Applicants are now reassessing their request following the conditions issued by city staff: they are expected to reapply ahead of a zoning commission’s March 8 meeting, adds Independent Record. Helena’s Community Development Department and Zoning Commission will be accepting written public comments prior to the date as well as comments during the meeting.
Zoning commissioners would then make a recommendation to the Helena City Commission based on criteria set out in local ordinances, including whether the proposal is safe to the public and if it does not “adversely impact or impair” the use of existing property in the vicinity. A series of factors are to be considered, including the type and size of the proposed venue and its historical uses.
However, the proposal has, so far, received backlash from some residents and venues close to the pitched casino, which argue the development would be out of character within the block where it is located.
The Montana city currently permits casinos as long as they are located 300 feet away from churches and schools, a requirement the proposed venue fits: Windbag Saloon & Grill is nearly 380 feet from the closest establishment of this type.
The Windbag Saloon & Grill is located in an “Italiante” style building, part of St. Louis Block in downtown Helena. The establishment was built in 1882 and is listed in the national register of historical places.
The location has traditionally been a focal point of nightlife in the area and, prior to the Windbag Saloon, which opened in 1977, it was home to a burlesque hall, a movie theatre and a bowling alley, among other establishments.
Original article: https://www.yogonet.com/international/news/2022/02/08/61301-montana-downtown-helena-casino-proposal-withdrawn-applicants-expected-to-reapply
