To committee Jan. 17

Residents of the Baxter condo on Elizabeth St have contacted me about noise and other nuisances from the Honey West night club in the first floor of their building.

Downtown Burlington is the only area in the city where nightclubs are allowed to co-exist with residences, and our bylaws don’t differentiate between night clubs with loud music, bands and dancing till the wee hours, and restaurants that close at 11.

There used to be a restaurant in the Baxter, and it created no problems for the residents. But there have been ongoing complaints since the restaurant was converted to a night club, including after someone pulled the building’s fire alarm forcing residents (many of whom are seniors) to walk down a dozen flights of stairs at 2 am.

I am bringing a staff direction to the Community Development Committee meeting Jan. 17 to:

“Direct staff to complete a review of the appropriateness of night clubs and restaurants with dance floors, and/or live or recorded music in proximity to residential areas, including mixed use buildings, and prepare a staff report and any proposed zoning by-law amendments for council consideration before the third quarter of 2011.”

Any bylaw changes can’t be retroactively applied, but will affect new night club operations.

Your feedback is welcome.