A group of Venetians who live nearby was formed around the 320 Sunset project and grew in size as other questionable projects appeared. They were asked what their reaction was to this decision. Ilana Marosi, spokesperson for the group, made the following statement.
This is hardly a surprising course of events. It seems Gjusta’s “approval” was in before day 1, when City Planning and Zoning enabled piece-mealing of the project, while Building and Safety allowed a full commercial restaurant to be built where only a bakery was allowed. Bear in mind that the Certificate of Occupancy, issued by Building and Safety in September 2014, was for a TAKE OUT BAKERY ONLY – NO SEATING. This permit was ignored for almost a year whilst the operator smoked fish, grilled pigs heads, and barbecued chickens in his “bakery”, all the while seating patrons illegally on milk crates in an illegally operated parking lot. Neighbors suffered (and still do) from breathing fumes and black smoke, noise disturbances, lack of parking, and traffic congestion to dangerous levels.
Gjusta refused to comply after being cited several times by Building and Safety since December 2014. Apparently a criminal case was in the works. Yet somehow, the City Attorney Mike Feuer (via Neighborhood Prosecutor Claudia Martin) refused to prosecute. The Garcetti administration allowed this unlawful activity to continue for 10 months and now his Zoning Administrator, Maya Zaitzevsky has given it her blessing. All of this despite the hundreds of complaints, alcohol protests and huge community disapproval by immediate neighbors and others who are affected daily. Councilman Bonin has come out in support of the community to oppose the project and alcohol service at Gjusta. We are grateful for the Councilman’s support. Yet the blight marches on with no regard for the laws or for the neighbors — just as Camaj does at his other locations at Gjelina, GTA, the Black Beast (1305 abbot Kinney), and the future restaurant at 259 Hampton where Sauce is currently.
Gjusta had a traffic hearing at the West LA Area Planning Commission on July 15, 2015. The day prior to this at City Hall, Concerned Neighbors discovered different (unseen) plans and expansion paperwork, in the zoning file, which incorporated the chiropractic office upstairs/next door and the use of its grandfathered (invisible) parking. (The chiropractor was still a tenant at this stage, and unbeknown to him, was about to be evicted to make way for Camaj’s latest ‘scheme’.}
This expansion alone should have been enough to warrant a new traffic study, further community outreach, and another zoning hearing. Concerned Neighbors advised the Planning Commission of this, yet City Attorney Cathy Phelan recommended the hearing go forward regardless. The now irrelevant traffic study was then accepted without any community consideration and without an accurate traffic assessment. The traffic at the immediate intersections was not studied, neither was rear alley egress, nor were the busy times of the day and week documented … yet the city went ahead and approved this? It seems the community’s best interests and safety do not factor in.
So where is our city when they should be representing the community? Or is that representation reserved for a certain moneyed few? Gjusta is 13-1/2 feet (alley width) from neighbors homes and children’s bedrooms in a residential community. The Alcohol Beverage Control regulation 61.4 states that alcohol shouldn’t be served within 100 feet from residences. The city of LA seems to think that alcohol service on an outdoor patio until 1 am, a mere 13-1/2 feet from residents, is okay.
What do you think? Would you like a rowdy bar as your next door neighbor? Or would you like your voices heard and our laws upheld? We all have the right to peace and quiet enjoyment in our homes. Let’s speak up now, and forever have our peace!
And, in the meantime, Gjusta has been named number 2 of the top ten restaurants in the US by “Bon Apetit” magazine!
I live on Rose and walk to Gjusta (who in their right mind would try to drive there? I mean, where would you park?) and every time it has been delicious. I don’t care about parking because I built my building in 2005 to comply fully with the Venice Specific Plan. I don’t use all the spaces, and ironically, two on street spaces were lost when I had to put in my (private) parking. If you want parking, buy or lease a place to live/work that has parking, otherwise we are talking about parking on a public street. That is “public” as in for everyone, not some self-selected special few.
Dear Ian,
The day Gjusta was nominated for “Bon Apetit” a B-rating was hanging in their window (see LA Observer), reflecting mold, lack of sanitizer and employees handling food with dirty fingernails.
That score in my opinion does not bode well for adding alcohol – age restrictions and too drunk to drive. The B-rating in my opinion reflects a lack of training and supervising employees.
A lot of people reading “Bon Appetit” in Laguna Beach and Irvine and Beverly Hills won’t be walking to Gjusta. It’s a destination restaurant. Pro-Gjusta postcards reflected this – Topanga, Palisades, London, New York, …
The food is good. B-rating is not good. The noise that would come from traffic and inebriated folks is not good – in my opinion. Even with one glass of wine, volume can increase.
I’m glad you have parking and that you can walk to Gjusta. Enjoy.
I have sympathy for the neighbors, because I am one. But the main reason CNS was unsuccessful in persuading the city to prevent this from happening is because they alienated the majority of us neighbors instead of banding with us together in a cohesive unit. CNS immediately created a feeling of divisiveness between those who were for the project or against it. What they seemed not to realize is that the majority of us are moderate, neither totally for nor totally against. If someone voiced anything even slightly in favor of any aspect of the project they were made to feel like the enemy. Those who were somewhat against certain aspects of the project felt required to become full blown aggressive activists. I understand that CNS was trying to rally support, but all this did was scare us away because regardless of our views on Gjusta, very few of us wished to be as militant as CNS.
The points CNS brings up over and over are not points most of the neighbors are concerned with. We’re not bothered by a lack of proper permits or that the parking lot isn’t legal, stuff like that happens all over Venice every day. We are especially not bothered by people sitting on milk crates, nor that Gjusta was initially supposed to be a bakery. Nobody really believes that once Gjusta starts serving alcohol it’s going to turn into a rowdy late night bar scene, all it means to us is that people will be able to have a beer or 2 with their meal.
What we ARE concerned with is the lack of parking in the neighborhood and increased traffic. Unfortunately the DOT traffic appeal was denied, which was a disappointment. Noise is also a big concern, but CNS couldn’t rally more than a couple of residents who truly live in in Gjusta’s immediate vicinity to voice this. Many of us who live in the apartment buildings on Vernon would certainly have spoken up about it, but once we saw the direction the CNS campaign was heading, we no longer wished to be involved.
I really hope that next time we’re not happy about something going down in the neighborhood that we can truly get together and make our voices heard, rather than feeling like we have to keep our views to ourselves because the opposing party’s approach is too aggressive for most of us.
Dear Fellow Neighbor,
I’m sorry that I, Roxanne Brown, at age 59, and my neighbor, Liesbet, age 74 with white hair, who knocked door to door on Vernon Avenue scared you. I apologize. We tried to be professional and polite.
We didn’t meet anyone in the apartments on Vernon that was pro Gjusta as a restaurant with full line of alcohol. We did meet one gentleman in a 3 unit building that said he was pro Gjusta. I said, “That’s fine. This is a democracy. Have a nice day.” Not too militant. Although, he did then move – maybe that comment was too much for him.
Concerned Neighbors of 320 Sunset doesn’t like the “property gangster” – I can do whatever I want – attitude of many developers.
I talk to Fran Camaj and Stephen Vitalich whenever I see them. I am professional and polite as are they. I like the food and the architecture (it’s unique – not 3rd Street Promenade (which you see at Rennie and Rose) or Beverly Center (which you see at the Northwest corner of AK and California) and have told them so.
CNS is against the “property gangster” approach even if everyone does it.
On the day Gjusta was nominated in Bon Appetit’s top restaurants, Gjusta had a B-rating in the window. You can find details at LA Observer – Google it.
The B-rating noted mold, workers handling food with dirty fingernails, no sanitizer being used. Yes, I bet that happens in a lot of restaurants. Even so, CNS doesn’t like it. And CNS especially doesn’t like an unpermitted restaurant getting a B-rating.
Roxanne Brown – member CNS
P.S. Reta, and “Fellow Neighbor” – no more “anonymous” please. If a person can’t give Reta their name, address, and phone number – why publish – we have no idea who they are – is it more “fakery?”