A new urban renewal plan for much of the West Side flats gathered momentum Wednesday as Charleston Urban Renewal Authority board members gave it their blessing for the second straight month.

CURA members sent the West Side Renewal Plan on to City Council, but not before adding a minor amendment. Council's Urban Renewal Committee will hold a public hearing on the matter June 10, CURA Director Pat Brown said.

The amendment requires businesses in the Central Village District that have primary building entrances facing a street to keep those entrances open whenever the business is open.

The measure came about after questions were asked about the issue during a hearing last week, Brown said.

During the Board of Zoning Appeals hearing, Jim Oatridge of Lexus Inc. was seeking a permit to open a bar at 1617 W. Washington St., site of the former West Side Café. BZA members rejected a request from a different group to reopen the café there in March after Mayor Danny Jones and others objected.

West Side Councilwoman Tricky Reed asked if Oatridge planned to keep the bar's front door on Washington Street open. The bar has a rear door that faces a parking lot it shares with Young's Department Store, which Oatridge also owns, she said. The Main Street program requires businesses on the "main street corridor" to use their front entrances, she said.

Planning Director Dan Vriendt said while the proposed West Side Renewal Plan does not specifically address the door issue, it includes many rules that emphasize use of the building front. He said the BZA could require front-door use as a condition to the permit.

Nick Barth, Oatridge's attorney, said the rear door was vital to the success of the proposed bar and urged the board to allow Oatridge to keep that door open.

The BZA approved Oatridge's permit with limited hours of operation - 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. - but with no conditions on doors. The permit is up for review in 12 months.

Planning Department staff decided to draft the renewal plan amendment after the zoning board meeting, said Libby Ballard, a neighborhood planner. "Just the discussion at the BZA meeting made us realize we hadn't addressed that issue in the renewal bill."

The measure is not intended to target any specific business, Ballard said. Several businesses along West Washington Street have oriented their entrances toward side or rear parking lots, she said, such as Charleston Department Store and the Smokehouse. Most also have street entrances, she said.

Also, "This new plan, unfortunately, will not be retroactive to the existing businesses," she said.

But Ballard noted there are plans for several new businesses and/or offices in the area. "Businesses that limit their entrances ... I think they'll be hurting themselves."

To contact staff writer Jim Balow, use e-mail or call 348-5102.

A new urban renewal plan for much of the West Side flats gathered momentum Wednesday as Charleston Urban Renewal Authority board members gave it their blessing for the second straight month.

CURA members sent the West Side Renewal Plan on to City Council, but not before adding a minor amendment. Council's Urban Renewal Committee will hold a public hearing on the matter June 10, CURA Director Pat Brown said.

The amendment requires businesses in the Central Village District that have primary building entrances facing a street to keep those entrances open whenever the business is open.

The measure came about after questions were asked about the issue during a hearing last week, Brown said.

During the Board of Zoning Appeals hearing, Jim Oatridge of Lexus Inc. was seeking a permit to open a bar at 1617 W. Washington St., site of the former West Side Café. BZA members rejected a request from a different group to reopen the café there in March after Mayor Danny Jones and others objected.

West Side Councilwoman Tricky Reed asked if Oatridge planned to keep the bar's front door on Washington Street open. The bar has a rear door that faces a parking lot it shares with Young's Department Store, which Oatridge also owns, she said. The Main Street program requires businesses on the "main street corridor" to use their front entrances, she said.

Planning Director Dan Vriendt said while the proposed West Side Renewal Plan does not specifically address the door issue, it includes many rules that emphasize use of the building front. He said the BZA could require front-door use as a condition to the permit.

Nick Barth, Oatridge's attorney, said the rear door was vital to the success of the proposed bar and urged the board to allow Oatridge to keep that door open.

The BZA approved Oatridge's permit with limited hours of operation - 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. - but with no conditions on doors. The permit is up for review in 12 months.

Planning Department staff decided to draft the renewal plan amendment after the zoning board meeting, said Libby Ballard, a neighborhood planner. "Just the discussion at the BZA meeting made us realize we hadn't addressed that issue in the renewal bill."

The measure is not intended to target any specific business, Ballard said. Several businesses along West Washington Street have oriented their entrances toward side or rear parking lots, she said, such as Charleston Department Store and the Smokehouse. Most also have street entrances, she said.

Also, "This new plan, unfortunately, will not be retroactive to the existing businesses," she said.

But Ballard noted there are plans for several new businesses and/or offices in the area. "Businesses that limit their entrances ... I think they'll be hurting themselves."

To contact staff writer Jim Balow, use e-mail or call 348-5102.