The City Council nixed a plan for full alcohol service at Buona Vita restaurant on the newly revamped upper Pier Avenue, and took the first step toward approval of a beer microbrewery in the town’s light industry zone.
In their last regular meeting of the year, council members also heard pros and cons of a proposed commuter bicycle system, allowed the local Little League to add a baseball diamond to Clark Field over objections of youth soccer officials, and denied a claim for damages by a man accused of braking hard in traffic and injuring a police officer.
Council members were sharply divided over Buona Vita’s proposed liquor upgrade and the planned microbrewery, with Councilman Howard at the pivot, casting the swing in one case and effectively deciding the outcome in the other.
In the case of Buona Vita, a 20-year mainstay on upper Pier, Councilmen Michael DiVirgilio and Kit Bobko pushed for a deal proposed by the owners. They said they would move their closing time from 11 p.m. to 10 p.m., restrict alcohol sales to 35 percent of their total sales, and refuse to serve anyone a drink without food, if the council would alter their conditional use permit to allow them to serve spirits, rather than just beer and wine.
Bobko has often contended that eateries with 10 p.m. closing times do not cause rowdiness and noise problems, citing Hibachi and 705 on upper Pier. DiVirgilio said such trade-offs with restaurants are needed to keep downtown rowdiness from returning to 2006-2007 levels, once the economy improves and larger crowds return to the area for the nightlife.
He said some critics suggested that he has “gone to the dark side” after campaigning on a promise to corral nightlife rowdiness, but he said his commitment remains firm.
“I devote more time only to Macpherson [a multimillion dollar lawsuit against the city] and our budget,” he said.
Mayor Peter Tucker and Councilman Jeff Duclos pointed out that the city’s Planning Commission was unanimous in its rejection of Buona Vita’s plan.
Tucker said any change to the eatery’s permit could be undone in time, but an expanded liquor license would remain.
“Another council could change the [permit]. These things are not into infinity,” he said.
“Everyone wanted a family-friendly atmosphere up there, and that’s what we’ve created,” Tucker said of upper Pier.
Duclos said rejecting the Buona Vita plan would “protect the integrity” of upper Pier.
Fishman, the councilman in the middle, praised the “innovate plan” to trade restaurant concessions for full alcohol service. But he declined to support it, saying that without a clear council policy on such trade-offs, “a window” would be opened for expanded alcohol service at restaurants on an ad-hoc basis.
Before the council discussion, seven residents said they did not want Pier Plaza-style alcohol service creeping up to upper Pier. Full liquor at Buona Vita was endorsed by two others, including a longtime Buona Vita worker.
In addition, about 120 people signed a petition backing the eatery.
In the case of the planned microbrewery, Fishman cast the swing vote that marked a first step in allowing Hermosan Jeff Parker to brew beer commercially in the light manufacturing zone north of South Park.
In the zone, where the businesses include surf board manufacture and auto shops, the council was asked to determine whether a microbrewery is allowed as well, before Parker can seek a conditional use permit to operate.
The battle lines cast Tucker and Duclos on the side of some neighboring residents who complained about possible odor and noise from the operation.
Tucker and Duclos also said the microbrewery would use large amounts of water that would go into the city’s waste system, while City Hall is pushing for green businesses and carbon neutrality.
Bobko and DiVirgilio backed Parker. DiVirgilio said micro-brewing would be less “intensive” than other uses in the zone, such as surfboard manufacturing, which “really smells.”
Attention turned to Fishman, who said he had spoken to residents who supported the microbrewery. He also won assurances that a closed-loop steam system would prevent vapors from bothering residential neighbors.
“It’s a light manufacturing zone. I don’t believe a microbrewery should be excluded from this,” he said.
Fishman then cast the swing vote against a motion that would have barred the microbrewery from the zone.
Before the vote, the issue saw contentious words exchanged by Bobko and Tucker.
Bobko accused Tucker and Duclos of trying to reject a business simply because it is alcohol related, although no beer would be served on the premises.
“We say we are interested in promoting business up here, but we don’t do that,” he said. “…This is about one thing and one thing only, alcohol.”
Tucker called Bobko’s contention “hogwash.”
“I really take offense when the councilman tells me we’re not a business friendly city…I think we bend over backwards in this city to help businesses,” he said.
“I don’t think this is about beer,” Tucker said.
In other matters, the council allowed Hermosa Beach Little League to build a new diamond at Clark Field, at no cost to the city, despite a request for a delay by American Youth Soccer Association officials.
Little League and soccer officials have met over the plan, which could call for sod to be placed over the dirt base paths during soccer season. But AYSO officials have said they could not bear their half of the sod costs. The council directed Little League officials to continue meeting with AYSO on the seasonal sod plan.
The council took no action on a proposal to use some city land along the Strand for a commercial bike rental business that is designed to target commuters rather than tourists.
Backers said the rentals, which would come with month-by-month subscriptions, would allow commuters to pick up a bike at the end of a bus line and ride it to the Strand, and reverse the trip to take the bus back home.
Steve Collins of Hermosa Cyclery, located one block from the Strand, said the commuter rentals would indeed compete with businesses such as his, and said the plan would unfairly use public land to compete with local businesses.
And the council, without comment, rejected a claim for $6,000 in medical and car damages from Brian Hitchcock, who has been accused of braking hard in traffic and causing a motorcycle officer to strike him from behind and topple from his bike into the car.
Hitchcock stated in his claim that police accuse him of intentionally causing the accident, but he was not at fault. ER
