Salt Lake City Council OKs neighborhood bars

The Salt Lake City Council has approved an ordinance change allowing private clubs in residential mixed-use zones on a case-by-case basis.

After months of hammering out a list of conditions for neighborhood bars, the council approved the ordinance by a 5-1 vote Tuesday night.

Councilman Luke Garrott said neighborhood bars would be "an amenity," improving walkability and increasing property values.

Among the conditions bar owners would have to meet are limitations on lighting, signage and outside music. The city could also require a landscaped or walled buffer between bars and houses.

Councilman Van Turner cast the lone descending vote.

"I'm not against any of these places," Turner said. "They just need to be in the right place."

— Aaron Falk