Proposed rendering of new Sauce. (Photo courtesy of Ilana Marosi.)
Traffic on Rose at Hampton shows present congestion with Rose Cafe not open and Sauce restaurant not expanded. (Photo courtesy of Ilana Marosi.)
Sauce restaurant at 259 Hampton had a “reconsider” meeting before the Area Planning Commission (APC) 1 April. Sauce had been approved but was appealed by Ilana Marosi. The APC unanimously approved the appeal which was a defeat for the Sauce restaurant. New facts and figures were found and thus the “reconsider,” which is what Roxanne Brown is reporting.
By Roxanne Brown
The Area Planning Commissioners, with only 3 in attendance versus five last time, HAD TO COME TO A UNANIMOUS VOTE. OTHERWISE, if they did not all agree, the result would be DENIAL OF APPEAL.
REMEMBER, the CITY had ALREADY APPROVED THIS. Then VENETIANS won the APPEAL. This was the best result Venetians could get with a RE-APPEAL.
259 SAUCE REPRESENTD BY: Owner Richard Gottlieb, Architects Stephen Vitalich and Sam Marshall, Consultant Laurette Healey, Lawyer Ben Reznik
As most Venetians know, the City approved 259’s proposed change of use from retail/take out to late night restaurant/bar with full alcohol license, providing no parking, as close as 15 feet to residents’ homes.
There was an Appeal Hearing on January 7th – Five West LA Planning Commissioners voted unanimously to Uphold the Appeal and Deny the Project. Details in prior Update.
After that decision, 259 Applicant requested and was granted a Re-hearing due to missing audio report and contradictory site plans.
Residents noted the many changes and new submissions that appeared in the City’s files, most just a few weeks prior to 1 April Re-hearing:
– At 7 January Appeal hearing a 12-page audio report from an unnamed expert was missing
– When requesting Re-hearing on 21 January at Commission, audio expert Marshall Long was introduced with a 7-page audio report, written March 11
– Subsequently, a 5-page audio report appeared from Roger Smith
– A traffic report from Ron Hirsch, written March 3rd
– A totally new site plan – the 3rd plan – appeared on March 16th
Laurette Healy, Applicant’s Consultant, spoke for the applicant and said:
– Change of use would be a less intense use than retail/take out
– More alcohol licenses do not affect crime rate
– No “in-lieu” parking fees are required – no need to grant parking
Gottlieb said there would be less trips (car) than there are now.
Vitalich said they would provide valet parking in structures. He did not state where or how many cars that would hold.
Chris Robertson from Councilman Bonin’s office stated that Council’s Office was opposed to the second floor and alcohol permit with 259’s track record of illegal operations for five years.
The Commissioners began a discussion. One main point was that this seemed like a completely different project than what was appealed and shouldn’t it start all over going through VNC and LUPC?
City Attorney, Kathy Phelan, and City employees, Theodore Irving, Kevin Jones and Simon Pastucha encouraged the Commissioners to approve the “new” project, which they said now mitigated noise and addressed parking concerns.
Although applicant and City said 259 was a totally enclosed space, the site plan showed an outdoor second story patio space.
Commissioner Joe Halper wanted to uphold the Appeal, Commission President Thomas Donovan said he could go either way – uphold or add conditions, Commissioner Esther Margulies wanted to approve with conditions. All three agreed to approve with conditions. Despite Bonin’s office being anti-second floor, Donovan allowed it.
Venetians won some conditions:
– No Alcohol Permit – can reapply in a year.
– Applicant must submit details of where valet parking would be to get permit.
– Acoustic testing of the enclosed building.
– No dining outside – no patio – no balcony – no open roof design.
– Conditions will be made for more reasonable hours of operation.
The Corner of Rose and Hampton will now have two restaurants with bars and valet parking at this busy intersection: The new Rose and 259 Hampton.
The Full Circle “church” is also on this corner. Neighbors have called police complaining of alcohol consumption and rowdy late night partying at Full Circle.
This triple threat of more activity could result in more traffic congestion, less beach access parking, significantly more noise as patrons come and go, creating more of a nuisance along this coastal access Rose Avenue route, as tourists and residents head toward California’s number one tourist attraction – Venice Beach.
VENETIANS SHOWED that we ARE NIMNBYS – NOT IN MY OR MY NEIGHBOR’S BACK YARD!!!
