Bars aren’t allowed downtown in this Pierce County city. That could change soon
AI-generated summary reviewed by our newsroom.
- Lakewood council will consider allowing breweries, bars and taverns downtown.
- Planning commission recommended zoning changes after regional comparisons and review.
- Planning staff oppose alcohol buffers, citing no incidents and administrative burden.
Update: On Feb. 17, 2026 the Lakewood City Council voted to approve amendments to the city code to allow bars and taverns in more areas of the city.
Original post: Under the city of Lakewood’s current zoning laws, bars and taverns are prohibited in the downtown area. That could change next month.
On Feb. 17, the City Council will consider allowing breweries, bars, taverns and companies that produce alcohol to operate in more parts of the city, like downtown, industrial areas and the Station District subarea on the western side of Interstate 5, according to staff.
Today, breweries are only allowed in commercial zones, neighborhood commercial zones and the industrial business park zone in Lakewood, communications manager Kelie Kahler told The News Tribune. At its meeting Tuesday, the council discussed multiple amendments to its municipal code. A public hearing on the issue will be held Feb. 2, Kahler said.
The planning commission recommended the city make changes after staff compared its zoning to neighboring cities, in addition to similarly sized cities in different parts of the state, Kahler said. According to the council packet, the Lakewood Planning Commission determined the amendments were consistent with regional growth strategies.
The proposed zoning changes “are a proactive step” by the city to bring more economic activity to these areas, “as well as to provide more options for location of such businesses,” Kahler said in an email.
In a presentation to the council on Tuesday, planning division manager Tiffany Speir said the planning commission does not recommend adopting alcohol buffers or alcohol-exclusion zones limiting where alcohol could be made or sold.
“There is no legal requirement for them, no demonstrated need, and no history of conflicts between these uses and daycares or other sensitive uses in Lakewood,” per her presentation.
“The Lakewood Police Department has not experienced calls for service or community complaints indicating a need for alcohol-related separation. Imposing buffers unnecessarily restrict commercial land availability with no identified benefit. Any buffer regulation would add administrative complexity and introduce barriers to otherwise compatible commercial uses,” according to her presentation. “Washington cities overwhelmingly do not use alcohol buffers for bars, wineries, breweries or taprooms. Standard practice is to regulate through zoning districts, licensing and general nuisance provisions—not separation distances.”
This story was originally published January 23, 2026 at 5:15 AM.
