Huntington Beach : Nightclub, Neighbors Fail to Resolve Dispute
Representatives of Garfield’s Nite Spot and neighboring businesses, residents and city officials met Thursday at City Hall to discuss a long-simmering problem, but failed to reach accord.
About 15 or 20 people met to discuss complaints of excessive noise and rowdiness outside the nightclub on Magnolia Street near Garfield Avenue, and the success of measures taken to lessen the problem.
In the words of one city councilman present at the meeting, “People are talking who haven’t talked before.”
Late last year, the city lifted the club’s operating permit, but then offered the nightclub time to solve its problems with its neighbors.
After Thursday’s meeting, Councilman Peter Green said the city seems to be left with three options in what he described as an “almost no-win situation.” The city can continue the revocation of the permit, reinstate it with restrictions, or pursue a nuisance violation.
Officials are trying to determine why Garfield’s has developed into a problem, while other nightclubs have not, Green said. Since the problem surfaced, the council has asked the chief of police to draft an ordinance restricting nightclubs from areas bordering residential neighborhoods.
The council will consider various alternative solutions to the problem at its Feb. 25 meeting.
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