Huntington Beach : Nuisance Complaint Filed Against Garfield’s Nightclub

City officials have filed a public-nuisance complaint against Garfield’s, a popular nightclub on Magnolia Street near Garfield Avenue that neighbors say is the source of litter, noise and heavy traffic in the neighborhood.

Residents have complained for several months that loud music, squealing tires, honking horns and shouting from the club have kept them awake in the middle of the night.

The complaint, filed in Orange County Superior Court, asks the court to take measures to lessen the alleged noise and traffic problems. City Atty. Gail Hutton, who filed the complaint at the City Council’s order, said the measures might include paying for sound-proof glass in nearby homes, building a higher wall between the club and the residents, or closing the club. Hutton said the last alternative appeared unlikely, however.

“Garfield’s has done all it can to alleviate the problem,” she said. “They’ve installed speed bumps, put in some security guards and valet parking, and chained off the back areas (of the parking lot).”

Hutton, asked if she had been reluctant to file the complaint, said, “I’m ordered by the council to do this. I have to follow their directions.”

Mark Silver, a co-owner of the nightclub and an attorney, said he has not seen the complaint.

“I can’t comment on that, but I can tell you, we’ve done a lot of things to alleviate the problem,” he said.

“We’ve got one of those electronic signs telling our patrons to be quiet when leaving the club, and we’ve got our DJ’s making announcement over the PA system about it,” he said. “I don’t know what else we can do.”

Silver said the allegations have caused his club to lose business.

“People thought the city closed it down,” he said. “Either that, or they started to believe all the bad things the neighbors and the city have been saying about the club. They’ve made us out to be a low-class dive.”