The request for a specific use permit creating an on-site private club to sell alcohol was tabled by Frisco’s Planning and Zoning Commission on March 14 after commissioners and residents brought up concerns surrounding the proposal and its language. It is slated to be discussed again April 11.
If approved, the private club would only sell alcohol during adult programming, which operates Monday-Friday 8:30 p.m.-12:30 a.m. and Saturday-Sunday 8 a.m.-10 p.m., according to a statement from the applicant in the meeting documents. However, the time restrictions were not included in the permit itself and are not binding.
“Cities do have the ability to dictate where on premise the alcohol can be sold and consumed,” city staff member Jonathon Hubbard said. “In terms of time, the city cannot put in the [specific use permit] specific time frames unless the applicant volunteers to put that information in there.”
Commissioner Bryan Morgan stated he would not approve the request until the time restrictions laid out in Performance Indoor Training's statement were added to the permit.
“This [location] is a dangerous intersection,” Morgan said. “There needs to be some work done until it comes back.”
PIT had been allowing a bring-your-own-beer policy since the facilities first opened seven years ago, PIT Chief Operating Officer Aaron Gordon said at the meeting.
“We've never had an incident for the seven years that the PIT has been open,” Gordon said. “The restriction of the BYOB is during an adult play, which starts every night at 8:30.”
Three residents at the meeting stated their opposition to the club during the item’s public hearing but said they could not think of any specific incidents or dangerous behavior in the area linked to alcohol from the soccer complex.
“We’re not comparing zero alcohol consumption with introducing alcohol for the first time; we're changing how the alcohol is purchased,” Commissioner Steve Cone said.
Creating a private club to sell beer and wine would help regulate the drinking already taking place at PIT, Gordon said. A club and proper alcohol licensing would also eliminate the BYOB policy altogether, according to a meeting presentation.
There are restrictions in place already, such as asking people clearly drinking alcohol outside of adult programming hours to leave, but a BYOB policy is hard to enforce, Gordon said.
“I can't look at all the Yetis that people may arrive with—that’s not in my domain,” Gordon said. “But we don't allow people to bring in beer while these [children’s] games are going on.”
Original documents stated the club would only allow members to drink in the club area itself, but plans to also allow alcohol consumption outdoors are being considered by PIT.
“Just recently before or just after the agenda was published, we learned that there are actually outdoor events for certain groups of adult programming, in which [PIT] stated that they would like to have outdoor consumption of alcohol that is sold for the private club,” city staff member Suzanne Porter said.
A Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission NB permit to sell alcohol at the private club was approved in June, according to meeting documents. The NB specification allows private clubs to sell malt beverages and wine regardless of the club being located in a dry area, according to TABC.
Even with the TABC license, the club cannot sell alcohol without approval from planning and zoning to rezone the area. Not being able to use the permit has resulted in a financial loss for the complex, according to meeting documents.
“The applicant made that choice to get a permit, and any [financial] burden that came from getting a TABC permit and not getting to use it was not any fault of the city or staff,” Commissioner Chair Jon Kendall said.
If approved, the club would begin selling beer and wine the very next day, according to meeting documents.
