El Zacatecas Wine License Denied

Six months after a at the West Los Angeles Municipal Building that pitted local residents against the El Zacatecas Venice Bikini Bar, the Los Angeles zoning administration denied the bar’s request to sell wine on its premises.

In his Oct. 26 14-page ruling, Associate Zoning Administrator Fernando Tovar also denied a request to allow seating on two outdoor patios and to sell both beer and wine on those patios.

El Zacatecas, located at 12017 Venice Blvd. does have a beer license and the bar will be given a conditional use permit to continue serving beer inside the premises only and to have dancing in the bar area.

While owner Sulma Marina Carrasco de Lightner argued that the addition of wine would bring in a better clientele; seating on the patios would allow patrons to smoke; and that the requests did not constitute a significant change to the business, Tovar disagreed with that assessment.

During the May 12 hearing, Tovar noted there had been Alcoholic Beverage Control violations in the past and although some of those had been resolved, he also spoke of numerous complaints of “fights, noise and disturbing behavior coming from the bar.”

In his ruling, he elaborated on these issues, stating that the site “has a disciplinary history with ABC and and communications received before and after the hearing, indicate that the bar has been a major nuisance in the community as collaborated by the LAPD.”

Tovar went on to state that according to the LAPD, El Zacatecas’ biggest problem is poor management, and cited ongoing “nuisance and criminal activity and pending investigations.”

Specific issues listed in Tovar’s ruling included calls to the LAPD that went beyond simple noise issues and included “fights and requests for an ambulance for battery victims,” (two of which occurred after the May 12 public hearing). Tovar also cited numerous arrests that had been made on the premises for illegal alcohol solicitation schemes.

As such, Tovar stated that approving El Zacatecas’ request would “not be desirable to the public convenience or welfare.”

Tovar also listed churches, public schools and community centers that lie within 1,000 feet of El Zacatecas and noted they had all been “detrimentally impacted” by the bar and that approving the bar’s application would only exacerbate tensions in the area.

The zoning administration’s decision will go into effect on Nov. 10, 2011 unless El Zacatecas files an appeal with the City Planning Department. As of Nov. 3, no appeal had been filed according to the Los Angeles City Planning Department website.

What do you think of the zoning administration's decision? Tell us in the comments below

Be sure to follow Mar Vista Patch on Twitter and "Like" us on Facebook.