Meeting Date: 01/09/13 05:30 PM
Meeting Type: Regular
Location: Will & Ariel Durant Library-7140 Sunset Blvd, LA 90046
Details: 1. Welcome, introductions and general comments on the PLUM Committee's operations by the committee's chairperson.
2. Review the draft minutes of the committee's meeting held on December 10, 2012. The draft minutes are posted and available for your review on this website under the committee's meetings archive.
3. 2775 Cahuenga Blvd, aka The Banana Bungalows site. A brief report from the committee's chair person about the Mulholland Design Review Board's meeting on January 3, 2012 with regard to a proposal to build 42 houses as a single family small lot subdivision. The proposal is expected to be back on the MDRB's agenda for another meeting on February 7, 2013.
4. 1708 Las Palmas – This is a first discussion of the item posted on the committee's December 10, 2012 agenda, which was postponed.
Adolfo Suaya, through his company, What's On Third, Inc., has filed an application asking the Planning Department to approve the issuance of a conditional use permit for the on-site sale and consumption of a fll line of alcoholic beverages in conunction with an existing 1,800 square foot restaurant with a bar. With the bar, there would be up to 80 seats. The proposed hours of operation would be from 10 am to 2 am daily. The application also asks the Planning Department for approval to have a disc jockey to play music, but not to provide any other live entertainment or dancing.
Angels& Kings is the name of the current operator of the establishment.
Michael Gonzales, Esq. will be making the presentation on behalf of the applicant(s).
The Planning Department's case no is ZA 2012-2850.
5. 6541 Hollywood Blvd. The Houston Brothers and JT Fox will be back to continue discussing 1727 Houston Hospitality LLC's application to the City's Planning Department for a conditional use permit (Type 47) to continue selling a full line of alocholic beverages at Jane's House. It's a restaurant and lounge; the proposed hours of operation would be from 11 am to 2 am daily.
Adolfo Suaya is the owner of Jane's House..
The Planning Department's case no. is ZA 2012-2991-CUB.
6. Discuss selecting a vice chair for this committee to comply with HHWNC's bylaws and standing rules; elect a vice chair.
7. Public comments on any non-agendized items.
8. Adjournment.
The committee's next meeting is scheduled to be on wednesday, February 6, 2013 from 5:30 pm to 7:50 pm in The Durant Library's community room.
PLUM Committee members Orrin Feldman, Jim Geoghan, Joshua Kopel, Jeff Papes, Mary Prange and Robin Moreno were present. Dietrich Nelso also attended as the EMS Commiittee chair. So, the PLUM Committee had a qourum present.
There were approximately 15 people at the meeting.
Orrin Feldman called the meeting to order at 5:35 pm. He made opening remarks and provided copies of the City ordinance 182095, which updated the common finding required in order to obtain approvals for conditional use permits. He explained the overall framework of the ordinance and how hearing officers needed to find that those requirements were met before approving CUP applications. He explained how the hearing officers' role differed from the PLUM Committee's role in fact gathering and reviewing CUP applications for HHWNC's Board of Directors.
He also explained that two of the agenda items from the committee's December meeting would be coming back that evening for further discussion: (i) 1708 Las Palmas, which operates as Angels & Kings, and (ii) 6541 Hollywood Blvd., which is a site where a proposal is pending to reopen Jane's House under new management.
The other committee members identified and introduced themselves. The other stakeholders present did so too.
The committee reviewed the draft minutes of its December 10th meeting. The minutes were approved unanimously.
1. Mike Gonzales, Esq. represented Angels & Kings. Dale Brown, who works at Angels & Kings, was there too, and he joined in the discussion.
LAPD Hollywood Division's Vice Squad officers had cited Angels & Kings on the preceding evening for offering$30/person unlimited drinks. The committee's consensus was that such an offer would seem to violate the rules existing now for operating Angels & Kings as a restaurant with a license/CUP to sell alcoholic beverages.
The committee also reviewed evidence that Angels & Kings had advertised its participation in a 2013 New Years Eve "block party" with two adjacent operations as involving three nightclubs. The committee asked why Angels & Kings was operating under a Type 47 restaurant CUP but advertising itself as a nightclub?
The tag line on one such ad read "3 of LA's Hottest club unite to bring yoyu Hollywood's BIGGEST New Years Eve Party with Over 2,000 Club goers". The occupancy load for Angels & Kings is no where near 2,000 people.
The committee also reviewed evidence that the SexHavers cover band played what seemed to be amplified music in sets at the venue according to an18 minute U tube clip from a 2012 performance. and was coming back on an open accoustical night set for Januaray 20, 2013 according to the Angels & Kings January calendar.
Dale asked for guidance on how to improve the venues operations.The committee referred him back to Mr. Gonzales, as the building owner's attorney, and to his own employer(s) at Angels & Kings.
The committee asked Mr. Gonzales to consult with Adolfo Suaya, his client and the building owner, as well as Angels & Kings, to provide additional information and consider refiling the application for a CUP as a Type 48 application insamuch as it was clear to the committee and to Dale that anyone under age 21 was being denied admission to Angels & Kings.
The committee and Mr. Gonzales agreed to continue discussions at a later date.
2. JT Fox and David Jarrett presented additonal information on behalf of Mark and Jonnie Houston regarding their proposal to reopen the Jane's House operation at 6541 Hollywood Boulevard.
The additional information included a page which had been missing from their application to the Planning Department when the committee looked at it for the December 10th meeting. A proposed menu and an article about a newly hired chef for the venue was provided.
The committee discussed the new information. Messrs. Fox and Jarrett told the committee that Mark and Jonnie Houston expect to come back with some additional details about their proposed operation at a future PLUM Committee meeting. So, the committee continued consideration of their application.
3. Robin Moreno had a public comment on a nonagendized item.
4. The PLUM Committee's meeting was adjourned at 7:45 pm.
The PLUM Committee's next meeting will be held on wednesday, February 6, 2013 from 5:30 to 7:50 pm at The Durant Public Library's community room.