MACON, Ga. — Macon's Society Garden can stay open in its current state for at least another month after the Macon-Bibb County Planning and Zoning Board pushed a vote on the bar to its next meeting.
The board says the Ingleside Avenue bar isn't following occupancy guidelines set in 2017 when the board approved 50 outside seats and monthly concerts. Now, the bar boasts room for 500 and live music three nights a week.
Co-owner Brad Evans says he didn't know they'd need to apply for expansions.
"When we first started the place, we just thought it would be a small, quaint, very small place. Instead, you know, everybody kind of flocked there and we grew really fast," he explained after the meeting.
Noise and parking were the two main worries in public comment and from board members.
"You can hear the entire Prince show inside my house," Christine Guard said, playing a recording on her phone.
Patricia Denmark told the board her 93-year-old mother lives just behind the bar and loves hearing the music. Her main worry is all the cars that park on the street on a busy night.
"I just want it to be able if something happens to my mother, that somebody can get to her," Denmark said.
Zoning Commissioner Josh Rogers said if the Society Garden's application came in as a new business, there is "no way" he'd vote to approve it.
"Right now, we don't have any evidence that you've got any parking secured," he said.
Evans says they do have agreements with other businesses nearby, but didn't have written agreements with him to show the board.
Just before voting to push a decision to Feb. 19, many zoning commissioners told Evans it's good to see so much growth. They just want it done right.
Evans says he's planning to work on all the requirements.
"The fire chief already came out and told me to give him a call in the morning so we can walk through. That's a big part of it. We need to get our parking lot agreement lease, get it to these people, which we already have. So, I don't think it's going to be as much work as they said it would," he said.
The zoning board says Society Garden can stay open as normal for the next month since they already have an application in for the new, looser restrictions.
When they present their next application, the board wants to see more specifics on parking, including any written agreements. They're also asking the bar to work with lighting and sound engineers to make sure nothing spills out into the neighborhood.