LEWISTON – New city rules giving a break to bigger downtown bars passed Tuesday. Councilors approved zoning that allows bigger bars to cluster in the city’s Centreville District. Councilors also lifted a moratorium on new liquor licenses.

The new permits take effect and the moratorium officially ends on May 6.

Current zoning allows two bars to be next to each other downtown, but requires a third bar to be more than 300 feet away. The new ordinance would give bars and nightclubs with first floors bigger than 5,000 square feet a pass on that rule.

The council put the moratorium on new bars in the downtown in November, while they looked for ways to bring some class to the area. The Centreville area – which includes the Bates Mill and the Southern Gateway on Lisbon Street – has been the city’s economic development focus lately. Oxford Networks, Andover College and VIP Auto Discount Center are moving into the gateway on Lisbon Street.
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