Iowa City Council Moves Closer to Amending '500 Foot' Bar Rule: Iowa City Daily News Links, July 24

Best weather of the year?

On to the Links!

Kristen East of the Daily Iowan writes that the Iowa City City Council approved the first reading of a change to a "500 foot" ordinance originally established to prevent the glut of bars in the downtown area.

Mitchell Schmidt of the Iowa City Press-Citizen writes that the council also sent the 21-only vote to the voters in November, as they voted against a petition that appealed for the removal of the law.

Multimedia coverage of the Johnson County Fair from the Daily Iowan.

Over 30 men competed for the title of Mr. Legs at the Johnson County Fair. (Press-Citizen)

The Iowa City City Council approved the Moss Green Urban Village project. (Daily Iowan)

Iowa City FilmScene had an exemption approved by the council so they can serving alcohol at the theater that will open this fall. (Daily Iowan)

Well this sucks. Two therapy dogs were killed this week in a Coralville camper fire. (Press-Citizen)

A semi-trailer rollover closed Interstate 380 for a long period yesterday.

Daily Links Excerpt of the Day

Drinking establishments in the outlying areas of Iowa City are one step closer to having more flexibility in where they may set up shop.

Currently, an ordinance restricts new drinking establishments in all of Iowa City from opening within 500 feet of existing such establishments. While city officials maintain the original law, enacted in 2009, was meant to prevent the growth in the number of drinking establishments downtown, they now believe the reach of those restrictions is too expansive.

Officials now believe those highly concentrated areas are now limited to the University Impact Area — which includes downtown — and the Riverfront Crossings District. The ordinance would eliminate the spacing requirement in all other areas of the city.

The City Council approved the first consideration of the ordinance on Tuesday evening on a 6-1 vote, with Mayor Pro-Tem Susan Mims having the dissenting vote. A proposed ordinance requires three votes before it becomes law; councilors will vote on the second consideration of the ordinance at their next meeting, Aug. 6.