Malco bowling hearing delayed again

MADISON — A public hearing over Malco's plans to convert two theaters into bowling alleys at its Grandview Boulevard location has been postponed until March 17.

Proponents of the project, which has been opposed by Madison Mayor Mary Hawkins-Butler, asked that the hearing be tabled until the next meeting of the Mayor and Board of Aldermen in order to finalize their case, according to a spokesman for the company.

The hearing was originally re-scheduled from Tuesday, Feb. 18. to March 3 when Malco attorney Bill Featherston said the proponents were "hoping for a little more time to establish findings of fact in the matter."

At issue is the plan to replace two existing theaters with a bowling venue featuring nine lanes. Malco Vice President of Operations Administrator Donald Terry said in February that Malco hoped the new amenity could be constructed without a significant change to the zoning of the property at 221 Grandview Boulevard.

But at a meeting of the city's Planning and Zoning Board on Feb. 10, Madison City Attorney Chelsea Brannan said the only mention of "bowling alleys" in the city's zoning ordinances is under the C-5 designation reserved for "heavy commercial properties."

The city of Madison currently has no property zoned for C-5 development.

Hawkins-Butler, who has served mayor since 1981, said she sees the addition a bowling alley as a step toward alcohol sales, which she vehemently opposes.

The theater has served Madison since 2006.



"When we change zoning and start allowing special exceptions, we might as well throw away our comprehensive plan and change the land-use map," Hawkins-Butler said. "That's our map for success. Once you make that determination (to re-zone to C-5), you could end up with a used a car lot there.

"They are trying to create a bar and bowling alley and a theater in one building. If they want to have a bowling alley, they need to apply for one that isn't in the theater. They can talk about doing this all over the country and it wouldn't make a bit of difference. This is Madison," the mayor has said.

Featherston has previously said the movie theater had not applied for a license from the city to sell liquor.

The State Department of Revenue issued a license for beer and light wine sales to the venue on March 7, 2019. It is set to expire on April 30, 2020. The venue currently offers no alcohol options for patrons.