Dancing Coming to Districts Where Once Prohibited

With no public comment and only a point of clarification raised by councilman Peter Leroe-Muñoz, the unanimously approved amendments to the Downtown Specific Plan and zoning ordinance to allow public dancing in city districts where it was previously prohibited.

The council also unanimously passed a motion to completely repeal Chapter 8 of the Gilroy City Code and adopt a new Chapter 8 that more thoroughly regulates public dancing, during its May 7 meeting. 

Small and medium-sized dancing venues will now be allowed to operate in all of the DSP districts and in commercial districts within the city under the new ordinances, according to Kristi Abrams, the city’s community development director.

Previously, dancing was only allowed in the Expansion District and the Gateway District.

While the ordinances allow for three large dance venues on Monterey Street between 1st and 10th streets, they also create the possibility for more than three large dance venues to operate in that same area after approval from the council.

Large dance venues will also be allowed in shopping center(s), commercial and commercial industrial districts with a conditional use permit.

As for the new Chapter 8, it provides the minutia on how the ordinances will be regulated.

“The new Chapter 8 sets forth, in much more detail than the previous Chapter 8, the police permitting requirements for the dance venues,” Abrams said.

While reviewing the new ordinances, city staff said they found that “community changes have occurred which warrant a change to the DSP in regards to dancing," and that allowing more dancing venues in the city matches the intent of the DSP.

The ordinances are designed to have as little impact on surrounding properties, staff reported, and to enable the delivery of services and public facilities to the districts where dance venues are established.

Detailed information about the Downtown Gilroy Specific Plan is available on the City of Gilroy website. 

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