Santa Fe Springs
The Planning Commission has denied a conditional use permit and a waiver of zoning regulations to the Cat Patch, a topless bar that has operated in the city since 1966. The bar operates in violation of a 1979 city ordinance that prohibits adult businesses within 500 feet of schools or property zoned for residents, the commission found.
The Cat Patch will appeal the commission’s June 24 decision to the City Council, said Robert Mitchell, an attorney for the bar. In mid-June, Mitchell filed a lawsuit in Los Angeles Superior Court on behalf of the Cat Patch, asking the court to rule whether the Santa Fe Springs ordinance is unconstitutional.
The bar remains open, pending a decision by the council on the appeal, said Santa Fe Springs City Atty. Bill Camil. The city is also reluctant to close the bar in the initial stages of what may be a lengthy court case, Camil said.
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