A Plea For a Pub in Salt Lake City

"In order to be "walkable," urban neighborhoods need to offer all kinds of services. In a survey commissioned by the City Council last summer, 87 percent of city residents want businesses within walking distance of their home.

I have two pleas: one for the neighborhood and one for downtown.

Andy's Place, a "tavern" at the corner of 500 East and 300 South, wants to become a Class D private club. Under Utah law, this would allow it to serve hard liquor. This busy downtown neighborhood is zoned residential-mixed use (R-MU), a category meant to "allow integration of medium-density residential and small-business uses at ground floor levels."

This area should have a neighborhood pub. We don't want a "private club" -- the more public, the better. As in the 9th & 9th neighborhood or commercial corners in the Avenues, such businesses can become assets to neighborhoods, providing a place for residents to meet and relax. The "Cheers"-like establishment is a space for community-building.

We weaken our neighborhoods by not allowing pubs to thrive, and endanger the public by making people drive out of their neighborhood to get a drink."